


Emeralds and Ice

by Nuredhel



Category: Forgotten Realms, TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms
Genre: Complicated Relationships, F/M, Lust to love, M/M, Main character expects to be hated by everyone, Main character is very damaged, Multi, PTSD, Rape, Salvation, Smut, Thranduil is possessive, Torture, a thorny path to love, drow elf in middle earth, non con, slave - Freeform, who to trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2019-09-12 08:54:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 37,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16869907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nuredhel/pseuds/Nuredhel
Summary: A troop of Rivendell warriors do come across a very unusual elf, he has black skin and is dying from severe wounds. When Elrond tries to get to the bottom of the mystery the king of Mirkwood does intervene. Is this creature a servant of darkness or a poor soul who ought to get a second chance? And is his kind even capable of feeling something else than hatred and fear? And can the cold and haughty king really be moved to pity, or beyond that, by a stranger to whom the entire world is new and frightening, inhabited by those who ought to be his enemies?





	1. Death in darkness

Chapter 1: Death in darkness

 

He was cursed. He had been cursed since the first moment he did draw breath, since he opened his eyes. He was cursed by his mere existence, by his blood, his looks and his name. He was cursed by the place in which he had to live, by a society which only valued strength and ruthlessness. He was cursed by his family and their ambition and he was cursed by his own weakness. There was no place for tenderness here, no place for things like compassion or love and yet he had wandered off the straight and narrow and now he was paying the price and it was the ultimate one. He wasn’t even regarded as worthy of becoming a sacrifice to Lolth, not even useful as drider food. It had all been for nothing and yet he couldn’t help but feeling a faint glimpse of pride, of hope. At least he had done something good in his life, one last act of defiance, of spite. Maybe she would make it, maybe she would live and maybe his son or daughter would face a better destiny than the one he was forced to endure.   
The end of him was inevitable, he was dying a slow death but oddly enough there wasn’t much pain, it was almost confusing for pain had been his constant companion for many years now, a constant reminder of his worth and his status. He could look back upon his life and contemplate it all and the tale it told wasn’t a happy one at all. He could count his good memories on his fingers. Breathing became harder with each wheezing breath, the cold stone floor underneath him slick with his drying blood and the silence was deafening. If there only had been something there, other than the darkness and the knowledge that his life had been forfeit from the moment he was pushed out of the womb.   
He had been born as the first son of the matron of the house, and he had often cursed that fact. It would have been better to have been the third, and been put to death right after he first saw this world in which he had been forced to live. But alas, he was the first son born to Matron Avarice of the house of Shalann. She had seven daughters before him, ambitious hard hearted priestesses and they all wished for one thing and one thing alone. To climb within the ranks of this twisted and dark society. The house had not even been regarded as one of the noble ones, the matron was a merchant and she had always been careful not to be too obvious in her ambition. That changed when the house of Do’urden was wiped out and the power balance shifted. Suddenly there was room available and every lowly house was scrambling to fill the void. Avarice was not one of those who would kill her way to the top, oh no, that was way too risky. She was smarter than that, she used her experience as a merchant and bought her way to the rank of nobility. Everybody who was someone owed her favours and she knew just how and when to demand those favours returned. She was safe in her seat, without her many would face problems and of all the nobles there she was the one who probably would outlive the rest. 

But then she had a son, one single male offspring and as always she was practical. The baby had been unusually large and long and it was a terrible birth but she survived and deemed that even this backlash could be used for something, to her advantage. The boy had been raised by servants until he reached the age of six, then the weapon master of the house did take over his training. That was when he got a name, the mother hadn’t even bothered with that. To her he was a thing, an object she could do whatever she wanted to and she had her plans ready. The weapon master stared at the boy who already was as tall as one twice his age and mumbled “Zhay” 

And from that day on that was his name, Zhay. It wasn’t even a name for it was a sort of slang word which was used to describe whether something was useable or not. So he was useable, barely. 

He had been privileged and the thought left a bitter taste in his mouth, he had not understood why he suddenly was being fed better than before. Why the small and cold closet which had been his room since birth was switched for a larger and warmer one. He didn’t understand why he no longer was being beaten if he did something wrong, but he was glad the change had come and he was intelligent enough to understand that he had to continue to do his best. He was taught well, the servants had managed to beat some sound respect into him. He would never look at a female unless asked to, he would never talk to a female and always bow to the will of a female. And he would always obey whatever order he was given, immediately and without ever asking questions.   
He was growing fast, and even if he was given basic training he sort of felt that it was different. He wasn’t being prepared for the academy and he didn’t understand why. As the firstborn son his fate would most usually have been the school of sorcery, he would have become a magician and been tasked with protecting their house from magical attacks. It was less likely that a first born son would be placed in the Mele-Magthere and be trained to be a warrior but it did happen every now and then, if the talent was there. He had received a very different training, not focusing on skills but on his body and his control over it. He was forced to lift heavy weights, to run and do acrobatics and he often cried himself to sleep at night, so stiff and sore he could barely move. As he matured he knew that there was a reason behind it and he dreaded to find out what it was. He was fed only the best food and it was wonderful for he had spent the first decade of his life starving most of the time, meat and vegetables were expensive and yet he was given all that he could eat. It did make him worried but he couldn’t say no, he had to eat when the plate was placed in front of him. 

He was made to run, to dance, to do acrobatics and the weapons master did never cut him any slack. The discipline was rock hard and absolute and he was often punished but never in such a way that he could become scarred. His mother did never bother with him, he barely saw her and his sisters ignored him too, they saw him as something not even worthy of their attention and he did try to be invisible most of the time. His key to survival was to obey and listen, the weapons master had been very clear about that. The society into which he was born accepted no weakness, no flaws. To be weak was to be dead, easy as that and feelings were something nobody would even discuss. He kept his locked away, hidden from view, hidden at times even from himself.   
He was twenty and at the age when he should have been sent off to the academy when he realized what his mother had in store for him. He had grown into something which was very rare among the drow, a very tall wide shouldered male with a beauty which made many stop and stare the few times he was allowed outside of the house. He was groomed and taken care off as if he was some prized animal and there were slaves busy with taking care of his skin and hair. He was a rarity in many ways, not only his height which was in itself strange but also his eyes, they were a deep dark green, like good emeralds or the moss which did grow on the rocks of moist places. They had kept his hair long, it did reach his knees and was thick and silky and he knew that he did look exotic and beautiful. The matron had spared no expenses with him and he had even been tattooed, with white and golden ink. The drawings elegant and beautiful and yet he didn’t understand why they did all these things to him. He was only a male and not even trained for war or protection. He had dreamed of becoming a famous warrior or a strong magician and do wonderful things but those dreams were the dreams of a naïve child and he already knew that fate had something else in store for him, had he only known what. 

There should have been no reason for them to take care of him in such a manner unless there was something the matron wanted from him and he already knew how ambitious she was, and how ruthless her way of thinking could be. He had been shaken awake early one morning by a slave as always, then he had been taken to the bath for a wash and been given some food. He had waited for the weapons master to arrive to take him away for more training but instead one of his sisters had entered the room. He had kept his eyes on the floor, he had never seen the face of any of his kin and he feared to even be in the same room as them. She had stared at him, if he had dared to look at her he would have seen an almost sardonic grin on her face. “Come with me”   
He got up and nodded, he was only wearing a pair of loose pants and sandals and felt insecure. “I am not decent?” 

She almost barked. “It matters not, come!”

He had followed her, meekly and with a feeling of rising dread, what was this? He was just a male after all, maybe the matron had decided to get rid of him? That he wasn’t worth the trouble? 

They had walked through a part of the palace he never had visited before, he was shivering when they reached their destination, a room he could only describe as luxurious. The female did sneer at him. “Mother has spent huge amounts of our resources on you, if you do not make it worth it I can assure you that the Goddess will be thrilled by such a lovely piece of meat on her altar.” 

He didn’t answer, his heart beating like a war drum in his chest. She pushed him inn through the door. “Obey her, or else I will have your hide” 

Zhay did tremble, he was staring at a bedroom and there was a female there, one he didn’t know. And even worse, she was naked. He had no idea of where to put his gaze so he stared down at the floor and confusion was fighting with fear of domain over his thoughts. He had never been alone with a female who wasn’t his sister and he didn’t know what to do, what to say. She sighed, a loud sound and she did smack her lips together. “Avarice didn’t lie, you are beyond gorgeous but that won’t matter much unless you can perform. Off with it” 

He did dare to raise his gaze for a swift second, utterly confused. “What?” 

She shook her head. “Your pants, off with them, now!”

He had to obey, his hands shaking as he did pull the garment off and she did walk closer to him, he was sweating, what was she doing? The female chuckled. “And she was right about this too, indeed blessed. I think you will become most satisfying, the tool is rather impressive” 

Zhay did tremble, what was she talking about? And where was he to look now, she was standing so close to him he felt her scent and it did awaken some odd new feelings within him, feelings he didn’t understand and it scared him. She almost giggled. “Scared young one? Oh don’t be, do what I ask of you and I am sure the matron will be happy to see her investment returned to her, tenfold. “ 

He yelped, that certain part of his body had started to react to the sweet scent of her and he tried to cover himself with his hands. She simply tore them aside and smacked him over his cheek, hard. “Do not do that, do not try to hide your assets, you have a huge cock and a strong body, it is your one value. This is what you are for boy, and I will make sure that your services will be sought after by all” 

Zhay had no words, he just felt terrified and ashamed and confused and above it all warm, and strange and there was some sort of ache within him which he never had felt before. She smiled and he saw that she was rather pretty, suddenly he couldn’t draw his eyes away from her dark breasts with their hardened nipples and the slit between her legs where he could see a small hint of something pink. He had never seen a female before so close up and absolutely not naked or in real light “Do not worry first boy, you will enjoy this” 

She reached down and grasped onto his cock and Zhay had to gasp, he tried to pull back against the wall but couldn’t and she chuckled. It felt like an electric shock, nobody had ever touched him before and it was both wonderful and terrifying at the same time. She had started to move her hand and it felt so good he was in tears. “Good yes? Remember this, you will never fail to satisfy the woman you are brought to, if you do the pain will be beyond anything you can imagine!”  
She grasped his balls and squeezed and the pleasure turned to white hot pain, he had to double over, almost retching with the agony. His mind spun with horror and she let go and forced him to look up at her face. “Understand?”   
He had to nod, shivering still with fear and pain. She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Good, I will teach you all about pleasure and how to bring pleasure to a female, you will be the matrons most prized possession, and believe me, if you do your job well you will be very popular indeed. You are large and strong and beautiful and will sire strong daughters.” 

He felt his heart drop and his mouth was dry, so that was the matron’s plan, he was to become a breeding slave?! The female laughed. “Don’t look so frightened young one, it is an honour. Do your duty now and I will show you every secret you need to know” 

She had taken him by the hand and lead him to the bed and he had followed her without any words, his mind too crushed by the truth to be able to fully comprehend this. She had indeed taught him well, and at first she had been almost gentle with him, understanding even. He had never imagined this and he had never been taught anything about sex at all so it was all completely new to him. The first time he did come he fainted and she giggled and held him until he did awaken again. There was joy in it, this had awakened his natural lusts and for a while he was eager to learn and experience more. She did show him so much and taught him about things he previously had no idea about. It felt so good and he was forgetting his initial fear and shock, he wanted to please the matron and knew that his life did depend on his skills so he tried to be as observant as possible. He was young and vigorous and as he became fully awakened sexually he found that he craved these things almost constantly. But he wasn’t allowed to please himself, if she believed that he had tried to seek release on his own she would hurt him in ways which made him scream in agony more than once. His pleasure meant nothing, only that of his partner and his seed should never be spilled except when it could be spilled within a female. 

After his training he was aware of every possible way one could satisfy a female, and he had confidence in his skills but he did soon learn that even his new skills were no hindrance when it came to the sadism of the priestesses. He had been taught about dominance and submission and he had to submit. He had to submit himself to torture and humiliation and still he was expected to fuck well, and come too. At first he had no problems with it, he was so full of hormones not even the worst pain could stop him from getting hard and doing his job. He had to fuck at least twice a day and sometimes more and the matron did brag about him. He was indeed a prized possession and she did not sell him to the first bidders for sure. No, they had to pay a lot and he knew that failure would mean beatings so he did his best all the time. 

The rest of the day he was forced to train and then he was bathed and groomed and prepared for the next customer and it became a routine and one he dreaded. He shivered each time the servant came to bring him to that bedroom again and he felt as if he never could get clean again. The scent of them were on his skin, in his blood and when he slept he had nightmares where they sucked the very life out of him. He witnessed perversions beyond description and he was bought by those who found their release through watching him in agony. There was only one rule, no permanent damage to the goods and thus he was never seriously injured nor scarred but the priestesses knew how to inflict pain in ways which never left any marks on the body. He was starting to fear each new day, cursing his own cowardly heart for he didn’t dare to end himself. He didn’t always manage to get hard now and he was given herbs which made sure that his cock did its job each time. It had become a routine, a show he had to put on in order to live. He never felt lust anymore, not even interest but he had to pretend as if he did find those females desirable beyond description. 

His nights were filled with terror and tears and he knew exactly what he was, a toy. One which may be tossed away whence it breaks and he feared being sacrificed more than anything else. Sometimes there was more than one female present and he had to satisfy them all, that was when he blessed the herbs and the fact that they also made him come if the stimulation was continuous, even if he felt no pleasure. It was just an automatic reaction the herbs did trigger and didn’t require any pleasure at all. He did no longer desire females, he feared them and their cruelty and wicked ways and he wished yet again that he had been killed at birth. So many of them did horrible things to him, just to see him writhe in agony and they laughed when he screamed. Trying to stay cool and hide his pain was stupid, he had learned that by now. There could be no pride and no strength, only complete submission and obedience to the desires of the female he was sent to satisfy and if she wanted to cause him pain it was his duty to perform well even when it shouldn’t have been possible for any living being. He was a whore, for sale to the highest bidder and he had no idea of for how long he had been kept thus. The days did melt together into one ever lasting nightmare and his tears had dried up. 

He learned to read the females, to anticipate their demands before they were even explained and his heart was dying within him. One more day, just more work to do, to ensure the wealth of the matron. He had given up, become a machine which didn’t have a will of its own at all. Automatic reactions all that there were, all that he was. His wounds and injuries were taken care off by the healers, potions poured down his throat every day to fix everything from deep gashes to fractures. The society of the drow was based on sadism and he did see this in all its terrifying dark glory. He did look amazing still but his eyes were dead and empty and his smiles hollow and fake. His looks were never allowed to fade, there was still servants grooming him every day, polishing his nails and trimming his hair and making sure his skin was baby soft. 

Then one day he was taken to the room again rather late in the evening and to his shock there wasn’t a female there. It was three males and he didn’t understand until they grasped onto him and pulled him down on the bed. He had heard rumours, he wasn’t stupid but he had never truly believed that males could do that to each other. Now he learned the harsh truth. These three had been rewarded by their matron and he was the reward. His screams did only make them more eager and he had fought them with all his might but to no prevail. He had never been trained to be a warrior, these were the very best of their house and he didn’t stand a chance. His body was toned and muscular but it was all about his looks, not real strength. He was raped that night, over and over again. They used him in manners he hadn’t even imagined in his worst nightmares and when they were done the following morning he was so weak and injured there was a chance he might die. 

The matron was angry but didn’t punish them, he did survive without scars and that was what mattered to her but he had to rest for several weeks and they had to pay compensation for the lost income. Zhay was broken, his spirit so injured he no longer saw any hope, any joy. He had nothing to look forward to, no way to become more than just this, a thing for use. He was cursed and there was nothing he could do about it. Then the matron decided that he was free for all the females of the household, they shouldn’t have to pay for him and now he suddenly got even more to do than before. He went from one bed to the next and had to drink those horrible potions all the time to be able to perform. He hated sex, he hated everybody and everything and at least that was something he had in common with the other drow within this dark realm. Hatred was the only emotion which was accepted there and he had a lot of it, he hated himself most of all. 

From that day on he did often receive men too and he was terrified each time, the incident with the three warriors had shown him how little he really could do to protect himself and how helpless he was. He was at their mercy each time and he loathed being touched, each time it felt as if he died a little bit more inside and only the dark hollow feeling within did grow. He learned how to please other males as well, a virtue born out of sheer desperation and the matron was pleased with him. Nobody had complained about him yet and he did never try to protect himself, he did accept all that was done to him without complaints. Like the dumb beast he was forced to become, was expected to be. 

Since he was the breeding slave of the entire household he had no right to say no if a female asked for his attention, he had to be on service all the time and the house slaves did often order him to their beds, enjoying knowing that they could have for free what the haughty priestesses had to pay to touch. He had no idea if any of the females he had been more or less forced to fuck had born him offspring. Father was an unknown word within this world, and he stopped thinking about it. If he hadn’t it would have driven him mad and if he was to stay alive he had to think clearly. 

Then one evening he was stopped by one of the kitchen slaves, a young and skinny female with a heart shaped face and large eyes. He hadn’t seen her before, she was new there and she did order him to her bed like many others did almost daily. He had grown tired of it all by then, he knew it was dangerous and a sign that the end could be near but he didn’t care anymore. He no longer had any will to live and it was visible too. The matron didn’t ask for that much anymore and there were rumours that his replacement was already in training. He didn’t care, he longed for death, for real rest. Anything was better than the hell he was living in now. The kitchen slave was very young and couldn’t have had many lovers before for she was tight and acted as if he did hurt her but she didn’t complain and she didn’t try to stop him. She didn’t speak to him at all and when he was sent off back to his room he felt an odd sensation of curiosity. 

She asked for him again, some days later. This time she did touch him, caress him and it was so unusual it almost made him loose his cool. But he did what he always did and then he returned to his room as usual but with one treasure though, her name. She had whispered it to him, she was Bezhra and he let the word caress his tongue as he laid waiting for sleep that night. 

Bezhra did take him to her bed often now, almost every day and for the first time in years he did look forward to bedding anyone. She was gentle and it became love making instead of fucking. It was dangerous and yet he didn’t care for it brought life back into his body and he found that he did care about her. She was so shy and so fragile and he wanted to protect her and keep her safe. His orgasms became real too, not forced forth by the herbs and there was real pleasure when they were together. But they had to be careful and not even in the darkness of her room did they reveal their feelings. No words were exchanged between them but the truth could be read in their eyes when they were together. Zhay had no concept of love, it was as foreign to him as the surface of this world but his heart knew the truth and they both treasured this strange gift. 

They couldn’t meet that often, it would be suspicious so Bezhra did only send for him once a week or less and he had to endure the touch of others in the meanwhile, spill himself into their insatiable bodies while he thought about Bezhra and felt like the most wretched creature that were. The few moments with her were heaven and he lived for them and them alone. 

They kept their romance hidden for some years and it was what kept Zhay going, what kept him alive. Then one evening she sent for him again and he did enter her room and saw that she was crying. She tried to smile but couldn’t and he felt bewildered and scared, had she decided not to see him again? She sniffled and took his hand and then she laid it on her belly and there and then he did understand. The world changed within that very second and he stared at her wide eyed and in shock and fear. How was he to protect her now? She was a slave, being heavy with child would most likely lead to her being sold, or worse. 

She whimpered and held his hand and he knew there and then that his life had no value whatsoever if he couldn’t save her. It was his sole purpose from now on and he felt an odd determination within. 

When he was taken back to his room he did work on a plan, it was risky but had to work. There were servants within the house who weren’t slaves and he did have a few things of value, things he had been given by the customers. Mostly jewellery and other trinkets and he had no real idea of their value but he had to try. So he did manage to bribe one of the servants into smuggling Bezhra out of there, and another one into taking her to somebody who would take her to another city where she could work and live with a new identity. It did take all that he had but it was all that he could do and he did kiss her goodbye and felt as if his heart was being ripped out of his chest as he watched her go. 

He tried to tell himself that it was for the best, but the ache in his chest was real and if he could have escaped with her he would have but the matron would have hunted him down. A kitchen slave however wasn’t worth the attention and he was right. Nobody did even notice that she was gone, and for a few weeks he had hope that maybe he too one day could get out of there and maybe join her. But the hope was crushed, and in a brutal manner. His sisters came to him, two of them, the oldest of them and the most evil minded. They demanded that he did service them and even if the idea did sicken him he had to obey. He felt dirty and horrible and yet he did his outmost to satisfy the two harpies. They did harm him, and they found great joy in humiliating him but he didn’t complain and he didn’t try to avoid them in any way.   
Having to fuck his own sisters was below anything he had ever done before and he was sure the gods would punish this, it was a sin, even in this depraved and perverted society. To his horror they returned some days later and demanded an encore and when they were finished he was bleeding from many cuts and on the verge of a complete collapse. One of them didn’t like to wash and did stink and yet she demanded that he did lick her to completion and the other one had placed some sort of magical device around his cock and balls and it had squeezed so tight he couldn’t come. His entire groin was burning with pain and his balls were swollen and so tender the smallest touch made him scream. And that was just the start of it, the two did come to him rather often and each time they did take it further, he was sure they would kill him in the end. 

Then it was discovered by the matron, the two daughters were denounced immediately and thrown out of the house, they lost their title as priestess and were suddenly paupers and even worse, branded. They had committed one of the few sins known to drow society and thus they had to carry the sign of it for the rest of their lives. Zhay had been dragged off and thrown into a dungeon after having been beaten tortured and raped repeatedly by the guards, he was going to die and he knew it. There would be no healers this time, no healing potions to knit together torn flesh and replace lost blood.

The dungeon had no light and even a drow’s light sensitive eyes saw naught there. Not even heat was visible in this black hole and he just laid there, broken and abandoned. Life was slowly leaving him and his body was shivering from fever and cold. He didn’t fight it, didn’t try to live at all. He had always known that the end would come and perhaps this was a mercy. He was dying alone, protected by the darkness. It was better than dying screaming on some altar while a priestess cut his still beating heart out of his chest. He had several fractures and many deep gashes across his back. They were infected and oozed and he knew that his soul probably would end up in hell for what he had allowed himself to be used for. But there was one glimpse of light, one hope. Even if he did die now Bezhra could have made it, the one good thing in his life. Yes, even his death was worth it if she was safe, he accepted the end and as the light vanished from his emerald eyes her name was his last conscious thought. 

The small group of elves were on their way back to Imladris, they had been out on patrol for more than two weeks and they were longing to return to their safe haven. They had been killing more than ten dozen orcs to the southwest of the Ettenmoors and now they looked forward to decent food and rest. Their captain was experienced, a noble noldo who had once been a part of Gil Galad’s court and he was known for having quite a temper and also lots of skills when it came to being a leader. Everybody trusted Arastion and knew that he would do his outmost to keep everybody safe. They rode along a bridle path and it was well hidden, they were already near Imladris and the magic of the place could be felt even here. At least to elves that was, others wouldn’t notice anything. Arastion was riding in front of the group, they were just twenty and all wore armour and rode good long legged steeds who also longed to get back to their home.   
They were crossing a river heading for a sharp turn in the road when Arastion’s horse suddenly started to act up, it did take a few steps sideways and snorted and threw its head and the rider did try to calm it down but with no luck, the horse was whinnying and dancing around and some of the other horses started to copy him. The chestnut stallion did most certainly smell something and the elves did stop and grasped their weapons. Could there be orcs this close to the borders? One of the scouts did shout. “My lord, over by that beech, by the roots!”  
Arastion did jump off the horse and he did see something in the shadows underneath the large tree. It was very dark whatever it was and he did cringe, he could smell something now and it was most certainly the scent of infection and decay. Could it be some dead animal? A dead orc perhaps? He did gesture towards the others and two of the front riders did dismount and joined him in case this was some sort of trap. They moved forth very slowly, weapons drawn and Arastion did gasp. He saw something he never had encountered before and he had no idea of what it was. It had the shape of a human or elf but the skin….It was black, black as pitch and it was alive for it was shivering. Could this be some sort of orc? The bodyshape wasn’t twisted the way it usually is with that race, as a matter of fact this did remind him of an elf and as they got closer his eyes got wider and wider. What the faint light of the forest did reveal was both stunningly beautiful and utterly alien at the same time. His first officer did wet his lip. “My lord, is that some sort of orc?”   
Arastion did shake his head slowly. “No Halador, that is no orc, but it isn’t an elf either, at least not a type I have heard of before. “   
Zhay had not anticipated to ever open his eyes again, but suddenly he felt things anew and he was startled and confused. He felt terribly cold and the pain was everywhere, so strong it felt as if he was burning alive. He did not wish to open his eyes, the flames of hell was surely what awaited him and he whimpered and held his eyes closed, the fear made his heart thunder in his chest. Then he heard something odd, a sort of loud sound and the ground did tremble underneath him and he felt scents which were alien to him. There was a scent which did remind him of his own people but also something very alien and strong and he dared to open one eye a little. The light was so bright it forced him to close it again right away but he had seen something, although faintly. 

Zhay had been told the stories of the surface, the stories all young drow were told. Of how the surface elves had forced them to live within the underdark and how cruel and horrible they were, even compared with the drow. He had heard of their hatred of his kin, of the way they would mutilate and torture prisoners and Zhay just knew it, he was being punished now, for every conceivable sin of his life. These were surface elves beyond any doubt, he was on the surface and the light would burn him if these creatures didn’t kill him right away. He heard footsteps, light and swift and he felt a sort of resignation, there was no escape now was there? Even if he had ended up on the surface somehow death would claim its prize as it always did. He just hoped that these elves wouldn’t torture him before they killed him. 

He heard words he didn’t understand and the sound of a blade being pulled from its sheath and he couldn’t help it, he let out a whimper of fear and squeezed his eyes shut, tried to think of Bezhra and the baby, of something better than his death. Tears did flow down his face and he whispered her name, slowly curling into a fetal position in spite of the agony, a last instinctive attempt at protecting himself. He had pissed himself in his fear and it was just such a very pathetic way to go, like a beast lead to the slaughter. 

Arastion did go closer to the creature, it was like an elf in shape and it was in fact long haired and rather elegant too. The hair was white, not silver like on some Sindar elves but stark white, like freshly fallen snow. The creature did stink of disease and he could see that this was a very injured being, on the verge of dying. “What in the name of Eru is that?!”

Halador’s voice was very hoarse from the shock and the creature whimpered and didn’t open its eyes at all, it did appear to be terrified. Arastion swallowed hard. “I have no idea? Some new monstrosity of the enemy?” 

The other rider frowned. “He is beautiful, look? Such elegance” 

Arastion made a grimace. “The enemy often uses beauty to deceive the goodly ones, there is no such thing as a black elf. This has to be a sort of trick.” 

Halador sighed. “So what do we do?” 

Arastion shrugged. “Put it out of its misery, whatever it is, it is clearly on the verge of dying and even if this is a creation of Sauron we don’t let living beings suffer now do we?” 

Halador did pull his dagger and knelt down by the creature and they felt the smell of urine and saw that the wounded being did fold itself up, even if the injuries ought to make it impossible. It did whimper and it did sound like a name, tears were drawing wet streaks down its face and Halador did drop the dagger. “He is crying my lord, orcs don’t cry?” 

Arastion did hesitate, he felt confused and conflicted but there was pity in his heart. “You are right, but he is close to death, I don’t think even Elrond would be able to save this one” 

The other rider took a deep breath. “I say we try, if this indeed is some evil being of Sauron we need to know more, what if there are others around? What if this is a weakling, one they have tried to dispose of?” 

Arastion did frown. “You are saying something there, it makes sense oddly enough. Okay, we have to try at least. Make a fire and get me some athelas and bandages, and wine, strong wine” 

He did kneel down next to the creature and laid a hand carefully on its shoulder, the creature let out a wail of fear and for a second it did open its eyes in shock. They were green, an amazing colour Arastion never had seen before, and he did see the agony within the face and realized that this was a creature which had suffered a lot. It closed its eyes again and sobbed and Arastion did forget the idea of this being some sort of orc there and then, orcs don’t show weakness like this. The others got a fire going right away and the black elf had to have felt the scent of it for it started to tremble almost violently and it whimpered and the tears were flowing freely down the cheeks. 

Zhay could smell fire, and there were many of these surface elves there and he could only reach one conclusion, they wanted to burn him alive. He was panting, struggling to breathe and yet his body hadn’t given up yet. Why hadn’t they slashed his throat already? Were they like the priestesses? Keen on watching him being tormented? He forced himself to open his eyes even if the light did burn them and he bared his throat in a last effort to beg for mercy, for a swift end. “Please” 

His voice was barely audible and it held no hope, he just had to try. The surface elf who was kneeling down there did stare at him with obvious shock and Zhay had to close his eyes again, the light was unbearable. 

Arastion had expected the creature to be unconscious but he wasn’t and he did look at the noldo and did something odd. He tilted his head back, bared his throat and said something which sounded like a plea. Arastion didn’t understand even a single syllable of it but the meaning was clear, the creature was begging for mercy and the captain looked over at the fire and he cringed, did this strange elf believe that they were to torture him?! 

He felt a surge of sheer horror, who burns others alive? Probably orcs. Could this be some survivor from the very first days of the elves? Some long time prisoner of the darkness? But Utumno and Angband had been razed millennia ago, could the dark lord have hidden a sort of storage of prisoners somewhere? They had to find out. He did sigh, the injuries were horrible. There were several fractures which had to be reduced and set and the wounds, ah Eru, they did stink! But he did notice that the creature had tattoos and they were exquisite, so beautiful and yet very different from anything he had ever seen before. Elrond had to take a look at this one for sure. 

The water was boiling and they found some cloth and Arastion did grasp the dark elf and turned him over. The creature let out a thin wail of pain and it made everybody cringe. The wounds were horrible, they could see his ribs and spine in some of them and a few of the warriors had to leave, green in the face and shivering. Arastion did nod to Halador. “I will reduce the fractures, if you can help me pulling?” 

Halador nodded and grasped first an arm with a very visible fracture just beneath the elbow. The creature gasped and the eyes opened anew, shock and fear so very visible and Arastion realized that this was a very young elf, barely more than a child the way they saw it. He had to gather all his determination to be able to do this, they didn’t have any painkillers left and this would hurt horribly. He pulled and the dark elf screamed, Halador had to hold him down and Arastion did use a branch as a splint. The creature was weeping, sobbing and panting and he was so warm it felt like touching embers, the body trembling the entire time and they set the fractures they found as swiftly as they could. 

At the end the creature was just laying there, not making a sound, being completely passive and not resisting at all even if the agony had to be unbearable. Then Arastion took some cloth and started cleaning the wounds. They were filled with filth and even faeces and it did take quite a while to get them cleaned out. He had to cut away infected tissue and he wondered how much blood this creature could lose without dying. The body was shivering and there was this thin wailing coming from the creature the entire time, like from a terrified child, a sort of keening. It was heartwrenching and Arastion did soak the cloth with a mixture of warm water and athelas and started washing the wounds with it. It made the elf arch and scream again, it had to burn but he didn’t try to protect himself at all. 

Arastion did finish the work, he washed the wounds with wine and wrapped them lightly. The dark elf was crying still, sobbing quietly and he couldn’t help it, he reached forth and stroked the thick silky hair, trying to comfort the wounded creature. “I am only trying to help you, don’t be afraid” 

Zhay had never imagined such pain, such violent and absolute pain. It burned like wildfire down his veins and in his bones and when his fractures got set he was sure he would die from the pain alone. But these surface elves were obviously not going to kill him right away, maybe they wanted to save that for later? Right now he was too weak to provide much fun. When he felt the first touch of a hand on his skin he almost lost it, suddenly he was there again, in the room with the three warriors, lusting and sadistic. He couldn’t help but screaming and he felt how despair filled his very soul. Had he wandered from the ashes to the fire itself? 

The fractures got taken care off, then they cleaned his wounds and he could do naught to stop them. They washed them with something which smelled oddly refreshing and then something which had to contain alcohol. Zhay had never felt that specific scent before. The dark haired one did touch him and said something which sounded almost sad and Zhay didn’t understand at all. Then a cup was presses against his lips and he realized that he was thirsty, terribly horribly thirsty. This could be poison for all he knew but he didn’t care, he opened his mouth and got a mouthful of something fresh and cold, with a wonderful taste. He let out a gargling sound and tried to get more, he could have drunk a whole barrel of the stuff. He was so thirsty!   
Arastion did grimace, the thing wanted more to drink and denying him more miruvor was like denying a child its favourite toy but too much would be harmful. The fever was still burning in the body and they needed Elrond to figure out what to do. He did stroke the thick white hair once more, by every God, the creature was indeed gorgeous, now that he was stretched out they saw that he was rather tall, not overly so but a wee bit above average height for a common noldo, and he was muscular and toned and simply perfect. What was he? Arastion was a wise elf and he knew a lot but he had never heard of black elves before. Arastion nodded to the others. They had brought stretchers which could be hung between the horses and two of the warriors did prepare one and attached them to the horses harness. “Galadhrion, Malador, ride ahead and ride fast, warn the lord that we are coming with a wounded elf, of unknown origin” 

The two got back on their horses and took off and Arastion and Halador did lift the dark elf up onto the stretcher. The elf was naked and the tattoos were very visible and Arastion couldn’t help but thinking that they had some sort of erotic meaning. The elf had some thin and silky white hair in his groin and a faint line leading up to his navel and that was very unusual. Elves do not have pubic hair but this one had and it did make him look at least a wee bit more mature. Arastion did cover the elf with his warm cloak and made sure that he laid comfortably. He took a deep breath. “We have to ride fast but not too fast. Let’s go, this one does need Elrond badly” 

Zhay was still terrified but he had sort of resignated, he had no idea of what they wanted to do to him and the feeling of being lifted was oddly comfortable. He laid in some sort of device and someone covered him up and it was odd. Why bother with that? Then everything started to move and he yelped and felt so scared he almost pissed himself again, then there was a hand there, holding his and he grasped onto it, desperately. He didn’t know why. There was a deep voice and even though he didn’t understand the words it felt comforting. He did somehow feel that maybe they didn’t want to harm him after all. He just let go and let his consciousness fade, he had no idea of where he was or what had happened but they had tried to fix his injuries so perhaps there was hope after all? He could only wish, darkness took him again and the group of elves did ride as fast as they dared to towards the hidden valley. Arastion wondered if their wise and knowledgeable lord would understand what or who this was, he was looking forward to seeing Elronds face when he saw this creature. It would be a sight for sore eyes for sure, Elrond did never reveal his feelings but this one would make even the lord of Imladris drop his mask, Arastion was willing to bet on it.


	2. Obsidian and ash

Chapter two: Obsidian and ash

Elrond had been busy working with the preparation of a batch of herbs. They had to prepare as much of them as possible for even if the valley of Imladris was caught in everlasting summer there were plants which didn’t grow there and the short growth season had to be exploited. He and his apprentices were placing herbs in a small building where they would hang to dry and he was instructing them on which side of the leaves were to be up when they heard hooves. The troop which had been sent out was expected to return soon so at first he didn’t react, then he heard that it was just two horses and they came fast too. He did drop the basket of leaves and hurried outside, in time to see two riders cross the bridge and ride up to the stables at break neck speed. Nobody would ride that hard unless it was something important and he did hurry down to the plaza. The two riders were familiar to him, he did bow his head. “Galadhrion, Malador, what is going on?” 

The two bowed deeply. “My lord, we have come to inform you that the troop will return soon, they bring a wounded being, some sort of elf but we don’t know who or what he truly is” 

Elrond frowned. “Some sort of elf?! What do you mean?” 

Malador did swallow. “Ah, my lord, his skin, it is pitch black, and his hair white. And he has tattoos and he is horribly injured.” 

Elrond was stunned. “Black?” 

Galadhrion did nod vigorously. “Yes. All over” 

Elrond felt very confused. “Well, what does he look like otherwise? Tall, short? Ugly? “ 

Galadhrion shrugged. “Pretty, very pretty, in fact drop dead gorgeous, perhaps six foot two?” 

Malador did nod too. “Yes, sounds right” 

Elrond blinked, no orc then. But a black elf? What in all of Eru’s creation? “When will they be here?” 

Galadhrion took deep breath. “In a couple of hours perhaps?” 

Elrond gathered his thoughts. “Right, go and get yourself a meal and a bath. And thank you for informing me, I will prepare now” 

He did walk towards the infirmary and shouted some orders, a couple of the other healers there did gather and he did tell them of the thing the two riders had informed him about but his mind was racing. What could this be? A black elf? Could it be some sort of trick of Sauron? Then he remembered that completely black individuals can appear among many species and wondered if this could be a person suffering from Melanism, the opposite of albinism. He had his equipment ready and found herbs and miruvor and then he had to go and take a quick talk with Lindir and Erestor. The valley had visitors and Elrond did growl to himself, he didn’t need a patient now, he already had more than enough to deal with, enough to give even him a splitting headache.   
The ruler of Mirkwood had arrived there to relax and also to create a trading deal with this realm and Elrond did respect Thranduil but by Eru, that elf was demanding too much. Elrond knew how powerful the king was and he knew that Thranduil had nothing but the very best for his people on his mind but he was so darn arrogant and cocky and even if he could be extremely charming he was also capable of being an utter pain in the ass at times. 

Lindir didn’t look as if he was happy about the news, having to tell the temperamental king of Mirkwood that the dinner appointment with the lord of Imladris would have to be rescheduled couldn’t be very appealing at all. Elrond did prepare the infirmary, he had no idea of what sort of injuries he would have to deal with so he got all his equipment out and cleaned himself thoroughly too. There was little time to spare if these damages were serious. The other healers were preparing themselves as well and Elrond felt a tingle of excitement. He loved to use his skills and this could be a real challenge. 

The rest of the troop did arrive an hour and a half after the two scouts, and Elrond did see the stretcher and the worried looks upon the faces of the elves riding next to it. He ran towards them and the other healers had brought a real stretcher and he stopped dead in his tracks and just stared. The two hadn’t lied, the creature was an elf and he was beautiful like few other things Elrond had ever seen but he was indeed black. The skin like jet and the hair thick and silky and completely white. What on Arda was this? Arastion was swallowing hard. “He was terrified, so very very scared, and I think he expected us to kill him. Do you think he will live?” 

Elrond managed to snap out of the shock. “I will have to access his injuries first, what did you do back where you found him?” 

Arastion took a deep breath. “We did set a few fractures but he has others we couldn’t do anything about, he has a horribly infected back, plenty of deep gashes and I did clean them as well as I could there and then. I haven’t had time to check for further injuries”   
Elrond was jogging next to the stretcher with the wounded elf on it. “Good, I will see then what I do find” 

The black elf was still unconscious and terribly hot to touch, the fever was insane and Elrond clenched his teeth together, this was a mystery and one he would have to unravel. The infirmary was ready and they lifted the body onto a bench and Elrond started his assessment. It made him cringe. There were many fractures Arastion hadn’t found, and they were of such a nature that Elrond suspected that they were inflicted on purpose, just to create as much pain as possible. The gashes had been cleaned but nowhere near well enough and there were some which had reopened and bled a lot. Elrond went to work, he and his fellow healers were cleaning and bandaging and Elrond became aware of something truly horrible. This had happened to this male before.   
There were healed fractures everywhere and he could feel that they had been fixed with some sort of magic, the body was riddled with old injuries and some had to have been life threatening but the male had survived. This body was awash with the memory of old agony and he couldn’t believe that any living being could survive something like that. But the black elf had, against all odds.  
They had fixed the fractures when one of the healers did notice something new, he did lift the black elf’s legs a bit and that was when they did notice that some of the blood on the stretcher came from somewhere else than the back. Elrond moaned, when they got the legs spread the source was all too obvious and he had to close his eyes and just focus for a few moments. The poor thing had been brutally raped and also this was something he probably had been through before, the memory was there in the flesh.   
Elrond could feel it when he touched the torn tissue, that it had been forced to knit itself together again many times in the past and he stared at the male with huge eyes. Not even Morgoth would torture an enemy thus, it was simply too evil to even describe. 

Elrond had to treat also these injuries and it was hard but he believed that he had managed to fix it all, even the torn muscles and intestine. If this creature was used to such treatment it was no wonder he did think that the elves who found him was about to kill him but by every vala, where did he come from? The tattoos were stunning and they did only add to the beauty of the thing, why would anyone treat such an exquisite being thus? As if he was a piece of meat? Elrond too did notice the clear erotic nature of the tattoos and he wondered about it. The body was that of someone very fit, but it wasn’t a warrior’s body. He didn’t have callouses anywhere, there were no signs of him ever having had to favour one arm before the other or using heavy weapons and Elrond started to suspect that this person was an object and nothing more. A pretty thing, a trinket.  
It was horrible but the healer couldn’t help but think of it. 

When they were done they washed the body with athelas water and Elrond did make the unconscious being drink some of it too. Then they laid him in a real bed with a very soft matrass and one of the apprentices did braid the thick white hair to get it out of the way. There was blood in it and other disgusting substances but they couldn’t bathe the poor thing until later. Elrond remained standing there, staring at the creature with narrow eyes. The fever was still running high and he had lost a lot of blood but there could be a chance, if the valar was merciful. 

The only thing they could do was wait, and hope for the best. They tried to get as much fluids as possible into him and Elrond saw that the urine the male produces was almost black at first, the kidneys had been damaged. Then the fever spiked once more and they had to put bags filled with cold river rocks in the bed next to the body to cool him down. Elrond didn’t allow anyone to disturb him now, Erestor did run the valley in his absence and the healer knew that this was among his greatest challenges ever. They kept the black elf hydrated, fed him chicken soup which had been filtered through fine cloth and massaged the body as often as possible and slowly the fever did drop. Elrond poured as much of his healing energy into the body as he could and hoped that it would be enough. 

It took a week before the creature started to stir, and it was just some odd wheezing sounds at first which alerted them of his change of state. Elrond did immediately hold a cup up to the creature’s lips and let him drink, it was cold water and the black elf did drink, eagerly. He tried to open his eyes and yelped and tears started to flow, Elrond turned to the others. “It is the light, pull down the curtains” 

They did and the room became darker, the creature was panting and slowly it opened its eyes again, Elrond was stunned by the intense green colour, like emeralds or good peridot. He saw them and yelped again, the eyes went wide with fear and the chin trembled. He did look like a scared child and Elrond did reach out, took one of the trembling hands gently. “Do not fear, do you understand me?”

The dark elf didn’t respond, he was just panting and staring and shivering and Elrond felt the fear from the being as something almost physical. This was a being who never had encountered anything but horrors and his heart was filled with pity. Elrond squeezed the hand carefully. “I am Elrond, can you say that?” 

He pointed at himself and repeated the name a few times and the dark elf did obviously understand, he did try to speak. “E…ew…ewroond?” 

Elrond smiled “Close enough, and you?” 

He did point at the dark elf who stared at him, eyes still large and wild. “Don’t be afraid, what is your name? “ 

The dark elf did look down for a second, confusion written all over the face. “Z…Zhay…” 

Elrond did smile. “Hello Zhay, I am very pleased to meet you” 

Zhay was breathing hard, he had hovered in darkness for so long and there had been pain the whole time but not as bad as before. He did see several surface elves there, clad in odd robes and the one holding his hand did wear such a robe too, and he did smell of something which reminded Zhay of the healing potions he had been forced to drink rather often. Was this a healer? Why had they healed him? He whimpered and couldn’t understand anything, was this just an attempt at making him stronger so he could provide them with more fun? He could feel that his fractures were set and his back didn’t hurt as bad anymore, they had been skilled, whoever they were. He took a deep breath, the one holding his hand was smiling, not smirking and the touch was not in any way demanding. Just comforting and warm and he didn’t want to let go, he was so confused and scared and where was he and what had really happened to him? 

He sniffled, wanted to cry but feared that it would make him a target, instead he tried to make himself an image of the room he was inn. It was large and airy and not too warm and there were curtains which held out the light. The smell was somewhat odd and he realized that this was some sort of place where people were being healed. The healer had long dark hair and a face which was handsome but somewhat worn, as if he had seen too many sorrows. Zhay trembled, this couldn’t be good, nothing good ever happened to him. The dark haired one said something and one of the other elves there came with a bowl. Zhay did try to push himself into the matrass to get away from them all but then he could smell the content of the bowl and his stomach did growl. It was a wonderful scent, meaty and rich and he felt his mouth getting filled with saliva. Oh every God, he was drooling. 

The dark haired one nodded and most of the others did leave, then he sat down next to Zhay and held the bowl up, and a spoon. Zhay stared at the spoon, he had never seen one made that way before and he felt that hunger was gnawing at him and yet he didn’t really dare to trust that this was food. The dark haired one who called himself Ewrond did take a spoonful of the content and smiled, swallowed it. “It is soup, nothing to be afraid off, try some?” 

Zhay didn’t understand a single syllable but the voice was warm and smooth and gentle and he didn’t let his eyes wander off the face of the healer but he did open his mouth and allowed a spoonful to be deposited on his tongue. It was…it was wonderful, it was the best he had ever tasted and he gasped and leaned forth as far as he could get, just to get some more. The surface elf did chuckle. “Slowly young one, not too fast” 

He did fill the spoon again and Zhay got another mouthful, he was trembling with need and if his arms hadn’t been hurting so badly he would have grasped the bowl and just drank it all in one go. Perhaps these elves didn’t want to kill him after all? Maybe they wanted to keep him for some reason? Zhay just hoped that they would be gentle, if he was to be a slave like back home he knew he couldn’t cope with the same type of treatment anymore. He would rather die. But maybe that was why he was saved and kept alive, he was pretty and knew it and having a drow as a plaything, well, that had to be rather special. If he did obey and acted as he should he could perhaps stay alive, and maybe even get a better life than before.   
After just a little the bowl was empty and he did swallow a whimper of disappointment, he wanted more! He was still hungry. The surface elf did pick up a glass instead, with something white in it and held it to his lips. “It is cold milk, try it” 

Zhay did like that voice, it was so soothing and he did lean forth and took a sip. It was sweet and fresh and the dark haired one let him drink all of it. Zhay felt a bit stuffed and groaned, his belly felt full and the surface elf smiled. “You haven’t been fed anything solid for over a week, no wonder you feel a bit bloated. You need rest, sleep some. I will sit here with you”

Zhay didn’t understand but he felt more at ease now, and relaxed. The dark haired one did reach out and stroked his hair gently and Zhay did wince but didn’t try to stop it, he had a feeling that this male would be a good master so it was important to be submissive and obedient right away. He had no idea of how the females of this place where and he would rather have a male master than a female one. He got a very worrying thought, what if these healers were slaves too? The servants of some powerful and ruthless female? A healer is valuable, you cannot afford to waste one by mistreating it. He felt himself starting to sweat and he closed his eyes, just to shut everything out. 

Elrond remained by the dark elf’s side, he was a bit worried about the reactions of others there, after all, nobody had ever heard of elves of that colour before and Zhay didn’t appear to understand anything of the elvish languages. Elrond had tried both quenya and Sindarin and also some words of the language of the green elves but there had been no indication of him recognizing even one word. That could become a problem, he could just hope that Zhay was intelligent enough to learn their language fast. He had to find out where the dark elf came from and how he had ended up in their world. Elrond was pretty sure now that Zhay had to come from elsewhere, he couldn’t be some experiment of Sauron’s for there would be nothing to gain for the dark lord by creating a creature like Zhay. And he wouldn’t have been able to turn an elf black all over without also marring its beauty, they had seen that over and over again. The orcs had been elves and the influence of the dark vala and his rogue maia servant had been enough to turn them into something rather hideous, both in body and mind. But a beautiful body does not have to mean that the person inside is beautiful, Elrond knew that too well. Could this be some sort of spy? 

He did put that idea aside right away, a spy has to blend inn, to be able to hide among people without being noticed and this dark elf was the opposite of that. He would stand out in any crowd and couldn’t hide anywhere. Zhay had fallen asleep again, which was good for that meant that he was healing. Elrond couldn’t help but feel deep pity, he wondered what sort of life this creature had lived, there was such a vast amount of fear hidden within this soul and he hoped that they could find out just what he had been through in time. 

For the next days Elrond did keep watch and he did make sure to feed the dark elf whenever he woke up, he did also introduce him to more solid food as the injuries to his lower intestine had healed and he was able to have bowel movements again without a risk of infection. Zhay was seemingly overwhelmed by everything he did see, it was obvious that he wasn’t used to most of the food there and he would sniff and examine almost everything, often with a sort of childlike curiosity which was rather unusual among adults. He would act with a sort of nervous zeal that made Elrond realize that he probably had very little experience with anything except whatever it was he had been involved in back where he came from. Elrond found some parchment and a quill but Zhay didn’t know how to write at all, he did try, but the letters he did make were unknown to the healer and also, very badly drawn. Zhay had probably never been allowed to even touch a pen and that made Elrond feel both sad and shocked. 

Fruits and flowers did almost scare the dark elf, he refused to touch anything with bright colours and Elrond was afraid that this fear was something the dark one would struggle to overcome. The light did bother him a lot, he had to be kept in a dark room all the time and Elrond tried to make his eyes adjust by adding a wee bit more light each day. So far it seemed to work. But he was still very nervous and if a female elf did enter the room the dark skinned elf went into what could only be described as catatonic shock. He just laid there, barely breathing and not moving at all until she had left the room and so Elrond forbade even the female servants access to the infirmary until further notice. 

By now the guests were getting very impatient, Elrond had managed to work on some of the papers required when Zhay was asleep but he had to meet the king in person too, the details had to be discussed and Thranduil was not known for his patience. By now Zhay was able to sit upright and he was getting stronger by the day so Elrond didn’t need to be there all the time. Instead he did order Lindir to keep an eye on the dark skinned one and it seemed as if that worked out just fine. Lindir was as non threatening as anybody could possibly get and he did spend the time singing and humming. Zhay was listening with obvious awe and often in slack jawed amazement and Elrond could only guess that the poor thing was unused to even something as simple as music. 

The leader of Imladris did prepare well for the first real official meeting and he just hoped that the delay wouldn’t anger the king too much, after all, when lives were at stake it was his first priority to be a healer, the fact that he was the lord of this place came second. The king was waiting in the grand office and Elrond managed to form a rather neutral facial expression. Thranduil was as impressive as ever, and he turned around and fixated the healer with cool blue eyes.”Ah, lord Elrond, at last!”

Elrond bowed and picked up the papers he had brought. “Yes, I was unfortunately busy, a patient needed my full attention for a while” 

The king sat down and the long legs stretched out, he was very elegant but Elrond knew that he was among the best warriors there were and absolutely lethal in battle. “Really, what sort of injury can be so serious it takes your whole time, for weeks?”

Elrond did gnash his teeth, trying not to reveal his frustration. He had made sure that nobody spoke of his patient and the warriors had promised to keep their gobs shut, which they in fact had. “Oh, fractures, and infections” 

The king frowned. “And who was the unfortunate victim? Was it an orc attack?” 

Elrond managed to smile. “Probably yes, but I cannot say more, doctor patient confidentiality.” 

The king did look intrigued and he tilted his head. “I see” 

Elrond laid the papers on the table. “Then shall we?” 

Thranduil shrugged. “Yes, why wait” 

They sat down to discuss the treaty and Elrond knew that Thranduil never gave up easily, he would try to get the best possible deal for his own people and some of the demands were tough, very tough. Elrond loved a challenge and he did truly appreciate how smart the king was and how cunningly he did present his plans. 

When the meeting was over the two went over to the dining hall for a meal and Elrond did make sure that Thranduil got some very good wine with the food. That always smoothed down any bumps in the road so to speak. They sat there chatting when Lindir came strolling by, apparently in a hurry. He carried a bowl of stew and a small flask of wine and he didn’t really notice that Elrond and Thranduil were there. Thranduil did clear his throat and Lindir did almost drop the bowl, he blinked and looked stunned and the king tilted his head. “Where are you going in such a hurry, don’t you eat with the others anymore?” 

Lindir blushed and looked down, a bit shaken by the sudden sight of the king. “Oh I do, I just…it is for Zhay…ah, the patient” 

Thranduil did frown. “Zhay? What sort of name is that?”

Elrond cringed, Eru damn it. “He is…a foreigner, and very…exotic.” 

The king gave Elrond his infamous death glare. “A foreigner? Who you spent almost two weeks healing?! With a name nobody has heard before?” 

Elrond tried to smile. “Yes” 

Thranduil did look a bit disappointed. “This has to be a special someone then, I have never heard of you working that hard on anybody before, except those wayward sons of yours” 

Elrond sighed. “Listen, it is complicated. The patient is very unusual, and I don’t want people to visit out of curiosity. He is…timid” 

Thranduil tilted his head to the side. “Alright Elrond, do explain this to me. You have kept an elf hidden here? Why?” 

Elrond almost rolled his eyes, he just hoped that the king wouldn’t react to this the wrong way. “He is an elf yes, but not like us, he is…how do I explain it, black? “ 

Thranduil frowned. “What do you mean black? Like the dark woodelves? Like a human being from the south?” 

Elrond shook his head. “No, his skin is black, pitch black, and his hair is bright white. A patrol found him, he was half dead and I had to use all I knew to save him” 

Thranduil did look suspicious. “And you are sure this isn’t some creature of Sauron’s? A minion of his perhaps?” 

Elrond didn’t bother looking calm anymore. “Yes! He is an elf, not an orc! And he has suffered terribly, I can tell by simply touching him!”

Thranduil’s eyes were narrow. “And what does he have to say for himself?”

Elrond stared straight at the king. “He doesn’t speak any language I have ever come across, he is learning a few words of Sindarin but so far he has been too weak for much except eating and sleeping” 

Thranduil did glare. “How fitting, are you sure he doesn’t understand more than you think?” 

Elrond glared back, and he did know that art too. “Yes! He is like a child in many ways, knows very little and I believe he is from somewhere else, brought here by magic perhaps” 

Thranduil just made a grimace. “Then keep an eye on this black elf of yours, I wouldn’t trust that he isn’t some enemy, sent here by the dark forces, however innocent he may appear”

Elrond shook his head. “He is barely more than a child, and an absolute beauty too. I can sense no malice within him at all” 

Thranduil shrugged. “You are naïve Elrond, the enemy often uses beauty to hide the horrible truth. Be careful, this black elf of yours could be sent here for dark reasons” 

Elrond almost sneered. “Well, in any case that is my problem, not yours!” 

He did turn on his heel and walked out of the room in a brisk pace and he just hoped that the king wouldn’t cause them trouble. 

Thranduil stared after his old friend, Elrond didn’t normally react thus? He wasn’t this irritable normally and Thranduil wondered if had to do with this so called dark elf. He couldn’t believe that this was anything but a ruse, a trap made by the enemy. Everybody knew that Elrond had a heart too soft for his own good, this stranger could have been sent to assassinate him or worse. The king did empty his goblet of wine, he would keep an eye on things, he wouldn’t leave until he was sure that there wasn’t any dangers there. They all relied upon each other, if one failed so would the others. 

Elrond walked to the infirmary, Zhay was enjoying the dinner and Elrond had to grin. The black skinned elf had made some blunders which were cringe worthy, once he had tried to eat a bar of soap and on another occasion he had come across a bowl of ointment and believed it to be food. He was like a child in so many ways and Elrond wanted to learn as much as possible about this creature, he was very interesting for sure. Zhay knew him by now and didn’t flinch when he entered the room, he kept his eyes to the floor no matter who entered but Elrond had noticed that Zhay had started to throw quick almost shy glances at him when he didn’t look at the dark elf. He was thawing but slowly, very slowly. 

Elrond did rub Zhay’s back with ointments each day to prevent scaring and preserve the skin and it had worked wonders, there would hardly even be scars. Zhay did allow him to do it but he would curl up if anybody else tried to touch him and the fear would be immediately visible within the eyes again. Elrond was stunned by the intense green colour of Zhay’s eyes, they were almost hypnotic and the thick white lashes made the colour even more striking. He finished rubbing the back and smiled, Zhay were incredibly submissive, and he did seem like a person who never has had the privilege of choice. Elrond did pity him, a lot. He did pack away the bowl of ointment and touched a lock of the incredibly thick silky hair. “I think it is time for you to take a bath, you need it, and the wounds have closed up.” 

Zhay didn’t understand yet, he just nodded and Elrond sighed. They had tried to teach him a few words over the last week and he had learned some basic ones but it went slowly. He had seen this before, in people who simply weren’t used to learning things and he didn’t think that Zhay was stupid. Far from it, but he had probably never had to learn anything new at all. Elrond did pat him on the shoulder. “I will send Lindir for you in a while, don’t worry, it will be alright” 

Zhay just nodded again, he liked hearing the voice of this tall dark haired elf and he tried to learn but it was very hard. Everything was so different and so new and he had no idea of what most of the things he did see was. His eyes were getting used to light now, very gradually. They had put some strong lamps into the room and he had to sit there with them on for a while each day and he had also been allowed to sit in the front room without the curtains pulled forth, the windows there did turn away from the sun so the light was not very bright and he was stunned by all the colours he did see. Nobody there had tried to hurt him yet but he didn’t trust that nobody would and he kept an eye on everybody who entered the room. He was like some wild beast captured in a cage and all the scents and sounds he did hear made him very nervous all the time. 

He laid there for a while to let the ointment dry and he tried to relax, outside it was getting dark and he welcomed that. It felt more normal and familiar and he wondered what all that he had eaten truly was. He had recognized the wine of course, and also the ale but some of the other dishes were unknown for him. He had liked the thick creamy substance with the odd smell and the strange consistency. Lindir said it was “cheese” and Zhay had found that he liked “Cheese” and also “Bread”. The other things he had eaten were more mysterious, he had been fed meat a few times and he wondered what sort of meat it was. 

He had long since concluded that he had ended up somewhere every different from his home, wherever this place was and he tried to be careful. There were plenty of blunders to make and he was sad that he knew so little. He was almost asleep when Lindir entered and the elf did smile and made a gesture towards a piece of cloth he was carrying. Zhay did blink, the cloth was thick and had to be some sort of cloak? Lindir held it up and pointed at the door and Zhay managed to get to his feet. He could walk now, but only for a short stretch and he was very weak. He took the cloth, it was a cloak and it was very thick and warm and he loved the smooth fabric, not knowing it was velvet. Lindir helped him putting it on and Zhay felt his heart speeding up, was he allowed to go outside? He was both excited and scared and Lindir put a hand on his elbow. “Don’t worry, there are nobody out there, Elrond has sent everybody away” 

Zhay did take a deep breath and he did follow the other elf out the door. The scent of the valley hit him like a hammer throw, it was midsummer and he had to stop and try to orient himself for there was just so much at once. There were lovely buildings everywhere and he heard lots of waterfalls and this had to be some very special place for he felt its energy. Lindir walked on and Zhay did struggle to keep up, he was as wobbly as a small child and he got short of breath right away. The brown haired elf did stop in front of a very large building built near one of the rivers and he did enter, Zhay could only follow even if his attention was elsewhere. There were odd plants everywhere, and strange colours and he felt dizzy with the skies up above, as if he was to fall upwards into them. Being inside was way more comfortable and he tried to appear calm and in control but it was almost impossible.   
This house was a bathhouse, that at least he did understand quickly enough and he did feel a jolt of joy, he longed for a real bath and Lindir did lead him into a small room with a sort of closet. Zhay realized that this was where you got undressed and Lindir pointed at the closet and his robe. “Wardrobe” 

Zhay tried to say the same thing but the word came out very strangely. Lindir just smiled and started to undress and Zhay froze, he didn’t like the idea of being naked with anybody, not even Lindir who he by now trusted. Lindir just nodded. “It is alright, I am not gonna harm you” 

Zhay gathered his courage and started to remove the cloak and then the long loose pants and tunic he had been wearing. He felt his cheeks burn, and he trembled. They hung their clothes in the wardrobe and Lindir appeared to be very relaxed. Zhay had to hide his embarrassment, he tried not to look at the other elf but couldn’t help it. Lindir was very pretty and he was surprisingly muscular and toned, even if he was one who made music. Everybody there had to train a lot and Zhay felt useless and helpless right away. They left the room and entered a large one with several pools and Zhay made huge eyes, the room was gorgeous and very luxurious and warm. Some of the pools held warm water and Lindir did walk over to one of them and gestured for Zhay to enter it. 

The dark skinned elf did hesitate but the need to get clean became stronger than his fear and he did wade into the pool, although slowly. The water was very hot but not unbearably so and when he finally was sitting there with water to his neck he had to let out a sigh of pleasure. It felt wonderful, and Lindir did join him with a comb and some jars which had to contain soaps. Before long the brown haired elf was scrubbing him and washing his hair and Zhay was used to being groomed but never by anybody who wasn’t a slave. It felt odd. He did enjoy it and it was such a wonderful feeling to finally be clean again that he almost wanted to cry but he kept his cools. Lindir allowed him to wash his own body and Zhay had a feeling that not all the scrubbing and soaps in the universe could wash away the stench of everything which had been done to him but it did feel at least a wee bit better and when he was done he was warm all over and felt very relaxed and good. Lindir did comb his hair and put conditioners and other things in it that made it feel like satin and it did even smell good now, not of sweat and fear. 

Lindir did allow Zhay to just relax and soak for a while before they had to get up again and Lindir found some new clean clothes for Zhay. He felt more agile and less stiff and weak now and the warmth had done wonders. He got dressed and then Lindir did lead him outside again. It was getting even darker now and he didn’t see that much of the valley but Lindir did lead him to a small walled in garden with some benches and he smiled. “Here, you need fresh air and this is a secluded place. You will be safe here. I will be back soon” 

Zhay did understand the word “soon” so he nodded and sat down, the bench was comfortable and he admired the lush grass and the trees and the wonderfully fresh air. The air where he was from was never this cool and pleasant, and he closed his eyes and just inhaled it. Perhaps this place was somewhere good after all, a place where he could be happier than before? 

Unbeknownst to Lindir somebody had observed them from a bridge, a tall figure did stare down at the garden and slowly he did walk down the path and stayed hidden behind the wall. He stared at the creature Lindir had guided into the garden and his eyes were narrow and also filled with slight disbelief. Elrond hadn’t been lying, it was indeed a black elf, with white hair. He did walk closer, without a sound and he found a hiding place behind a huge maple tree. Here he could stand and watch and he wondered how Elrond could let this being just sit there, unguarded. But the healer had been right, this was an extremely beautiful creature and Thranduil had never seen such elegance nor such perfect physique. He was close enough to see the expression of bliss on the face of the male and it had to come from just the sheer joy of breathing? 

The male did get up, a bit wobbly and he was heading for one of the flower beds, what was he up to? Was he gonna tear up the flowers? Thranduil did see what he was attracted to, a very large and special Lilly which was blooming now. It had huge flowers which did look like the finest porcelain in a pale blue colour and the scent of them was breathtaking.   
The dark elf did hesitate, as if he was afraid that the flower was dangerous? Thranduil did almost scoff, who is afraid of a flower? The male did reach out very slowly and let a fingertip touch one of the flowers, very gently. Nothing happened and the dark elf did relax a bit, he did caress the flower and then he leaned forth very hesitantly and sniffed it. Thranduil did almost laugh, there was a childlike innocence in everything this creature did, it did remind him of his son when he was a mere toddler. 

The dark elf was sniffing the flower with an expression of sublime joy on his face and Thranduil did cringe, he almost revealed his presence for he did remember one particular thing about that specific flower. He almost wanted to warn the stranger but it was too late. Zhay did shake the flower a wee bit and that was enough, a huge cloud of pollen did fill the air and the dark elf started to sneeze. It made him shake and he stumbled back from the lillies and sat down again, gasping for air. He did stare at the flowers with a mixture of distrust and disbelief and Thranduil cocked his head. Was the thing crying? It was! 

Thranduil had been rather convinced that this was some servant of darkness but now that idea did vanish like snow for the sun, he could feel the sorrow and fear which laid buried within this elf and suddenly the elven king felt something new. A sort of strange need to possess, to own and protect. This black elf was indeed exquisite and Thranduil felt a burning longing, a need to run his hands through that long thick hair, to feel the lithe and yet toned body writhe against his own. To hear this gorgeous male moan his name, caught in the throes of passion, to make him spend and scream in pleasure, and for him, only for him. 

Thranduil did stare at Zhay the way a hungry lion stares at a wounded gazelle and he had made up his mind. When he left the valley this dark elf would follow him, one way or the other, he would make it happen. Zhay was for him and nobody else, he was a gem as precious as any jewel and the tall blonde smiled as he slowly returned to his chambers. Elrond could hang onto this one for a while but not forever, Thranduil knew how to seduce, Zhay would follow him like an obedient dog follow its owner, he was rather sure of it. Yes, the dark elf would be a perfect addition to his small group of lovers.   
The king smirked and poured himself a glass of wine, he would dress the dark elf in garments of sheer silk and cover him with emeralds and he would never need to do any work. It was most certainly a good plan, and Thranduil did always get his will, after all, he was a king and Elrond wouldn’t deny Zhay the chance to become a king’s favourite now would he? Of course not, not if the dark elf wanted to.   
Thranduil couldn’t even fathom that somebody wouldn’t want to serve him, the very idea was incomprehensible to him. Come the morrow and he would seek out this exotic stranger and then he would most certainly fall for Thranduil’s charm and charisma.


	3. The end of all hope...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning, this chapter is very...unpleasant...It seems as if poor Zhay has jumped from the ashes and into the fire after all...

Chapter three: The end of all hope…

 

Elrond was in a bit of a squeeze, he couldn’t hide Zhay forever and sooner or later the dark elf had to be allowed to meet others and learn how to interact with this society. He just had no idea of how to do it. Lindir did suggest that he would spread the word, very carefully and with emphasis on the dark elf as an innocent victim. Elrond did think about it, just presenting him would perhaps be too much of a shock to everybody, but if people were prepared? He did agree, Lindir promised to make sure that the population was being made aware of the dark elf. Zhay was getting stronger by the day now and he started to learn a few new words but he wasn’t a quick learner. He was simply too afraid of making mistakes to dare to try and Elrond wondered what the cause for this could be? He felt that the dark skinned elf had experienced little good in his life, the way he always seemed to expect the worst was clear evidence of this. 

They did take him for a bath each day, and found that Zhay couldn’t swim, they did also find that Zhay had no experience with weapons of any sorts and even the most everyday items seemed to fill him with wonder. They had given him a room not far from Elrond’s own chambers and one morning the windows had been open, a chicken had made its way into the room and Lindir had found Zhay curled up in a corner, utterly terrified. Lindir had shooed the chicken out and then he had spent half an hour trying to calm the trembling elf. Elrond was afraid that Zhay would suffer a complete breakdown if they did show him too much at a time so for the time being he was only let outside in the company of Lindir and only taken to the park. There he would be shown trees and plants one at a time and Elrond made sure that the park was being deserted each time Zhay was taken there. 

But one thing did worry Elrond more than anything else, Thranduil seemed to have taken an interest in Zhay and it wasn’t just curiosity. The questions the king asked each day did seem to be a bit too personal for it to be just coincidental and Elrond wondered if Thranduil in fact had met Zhay somehow? It was no wonder that anybody would be mesmerized by the dark elf for he was truly gorgeous, and Thranduil wasn’t stupid, he was as a matter of fact very intelligent and fond of knowledge, it was just that his reputation did hint at the opposite. 

Zhay was held in his rooms for most of the day and Lindir did bring some crayons and paper, just to let Zhay do something else than staring at the walls. At first he was timid, didn’t dare to even touch the paper before Lindir showed him how to do it. Then he started making very childlike drawings, the type a toddler makes. He did draw only the interior of the room, as if he was afraid to insult them by doing something else. Then slowly, ever so slowly he started to improve his skills and he dared to try new motifs. The primitive stick men became real people and Elrond was a bit shocked, the elf did have a huge talent, but it had been ignored and probably never even discovered. 

But Zhay had been there for several months now and it was time to let the population meet him so Elrond decided to bring his patient to the halls early one evening. He did make sure that Zhay was well dressed and that his appearance was youthful and innocent. The hair braided back and most of the tattoos covered by his clothes. Zhay was afraid, it was very obvious but Elrond knew that he couldn’t keep hiding forever and the few words he did know by now should be enough, at least when there were others watching him. The halls were crowded that evening for Lindir and his fellow musicians were to perform and Elrond did see that even the Mirkwood king and his entourage was there. 

Lindir had spread the word, and he had been good at it too, everybody knew that Elrond had a patient who was black skinned and very timid and that the poor thing had been terribly abused. The warriors who found him had also helped out with the gossip and thus the population was ready to see Zhay, and also positive to his presence there. Elrond did walk in with his head up high as always and Zhay did follow, meekly and nervous. He had never been in a room this large before and he had never seen this many elves gathered at once. His heart was racing and he tried to hide behind Elrond like a child. 

Elrond did grasp his hand and they stopped in front of the rows of tables, everybody were staring and Zhay did stare at the floors, completely frozen. Elrond sighed and took a deep breath. “My friends, this is Zhay, he has been my patient for the last months, I hope that you will all welcome him, he is very shy and doesn’t speak our language” 

There was a mumble of many mouths being heard, most did stare at Zhay in disbelief and wonder and Elrond was glad that nobody there did show any signs of hostility. Zhay was still clinging to the back of Elrond’s robe like a child clings to it’s mother’s skirts, Elrond had to slowly turn around just to let everybody see him. The mumbling they did hear was of compassion and Elrond was glad Lindir was such an expert at creating a feeling of pity with his words, he was sure the singer could have made people pity even Morgoth given enough time. 

Elrond did both push and haul Zhay off to one of the tables where they sat down and a servant brought some food and wine. Zhay had developed a very fine appetite by now, he was eating everything he was given but he hadn’t learned much about fine manners. That was very obvious when he ate around others for he did wolf down his food as if he was afraid of somebody stealing it if he did take his time. Now he did look at his plate with anticipation and made huge eyes when he became aware of the deer which was being roasted whole on the huge hearth. The servants would cut out slices and bring them out to the tables to whoever wanted some meat beside their vegetables and Zhay got a huge piece. The servants obviously was as taken by him as the others there and did pity him. 

Zhay stared at the meat, it did smell so good he could hardly believe it and then he just attacked it like a starving animal. He forgot about the fork and knife and tried to use his fingers and Elrond had to gently stop him to show him how this was done. Zhay cringed, he had made a mistake, was he going to be punished now? His eyes were huge and scared and Elrond wondered how they would address this problem. Zhay was way too timid and nervous, he had to gain some self confidence soon. The wine was yet another problem, Zhay did drink like it was water and Elrond was afraid that he would get drunk way too fast. He couldn’t be that used to the liquid and he made sure that the servants would refill his cup with just water, he had no idea of what a drunk Zhay would be like but he didn’t want to see it. 

Zhay did eat until he was on the verge of bursting, then he did fall into a sort of food coma and just sat there, with a silly grin on his face and the fact that something as simple as having eaten his fill caused this sort of reaction made the healer cringe once more. The poor thing couldn’t have eaten more than what was barely enough to keep him alive. Elrond was rather sure that Zhay had been a slave and the mere idea was horrible, had his masters been other elves? That in itself was unbelievable but Elrond had to accept the possibility. 

Thranduil was sitting some tables away from the dark elf and the healer and he couldn’t tear his eyes off the gorgeous male, now in the light of the huge bonfires Zhay was even more beautiful and exotic than before and Thranduil felt the urge build within like never before. He had to gain the trust and acceptance of the dark elf, and soon. He had managed to draw the negotiations out by being overly picky when it came to the different agreements but he couldn’t keep doing that. Elrond would get suspicious for sure. There had to be a way to spend time with the dark elf, to get to know him, he just had to find it. 

Elrond helped Zhay back to his chamber after the dinner, the dark elf was tipsy and giggling the whole time and Elrond realized yet again how young Zhay was. He was like a child in so many ways and he wondered what the future would hold for such a rare creature. The next day Lindir was to show Zhay more of Imladris and Elrond just hoped that it wouldn’t cause problems. 

Zhay had a headache the next morning and he was a bit grumpy, but he didn’t complain in any way as Lindir brought some warm water and clean clothes. Zhay understood that he was to be shown more of the place and he was a bit excited, he wasn’t quite as afraid now and he was naturally curious too. Lindir had brought a warm jacket and some boots and Zhay forgot about his discomfort rather soon. The sunlight wasn’t that bothersome now and he was eager to learn more. Lindir was leading the way, joyfully humming and pointing at things, telling their names. Zhay tried to repeat and he had gotten a sort of hang of it now, he did realize that he had to use his tongue in a whole new way to articulate these words and Lindir did praise him from time to another. They were following a narrow path between the buildings and approached a waterfall which had been turned into a sort of dam. 

Lindir grinned. “See? Goldfish, they are just there to look pretty, not to eat” 

Zhay did squint, the light was a bit too much for his eyes just yet but he did see and he gasped when he managed to catch a glimpse of the swiftly moving fish. They were like living jewels and Zhay sat down and was completely mesmerized. He did even put a finger into the water and squealed as one of the fish nibbled on the finger to check if it was food. Lindir had to smile, Zhay was so wonderfully open in such moments, the sheer joy within his eyes rather contagious. They sat there for a while and Zhay didn’t seem to notice anything except the brightly coloured fishes, he had never seen anything like them. 

There was a road passing close by and Lindir heard the sound of somebody approaching on horseback, he realized that Zhay maybe wasn’t too used to horses and cringed, they should leave but it was too late. Three warriors came galloping by and Zhay was pulled out of the trance and whimpered. He only heard a thundering sound and then something massive came flying by, some sort of huge creatures he hadn’t seen before and he tried to get up but was tackled by some of the tall grass and fell face first onto the ground. The warriors did rein in their horses, shocked by what they saw and Lindir tried to help Zhay get to his feet but the dark elf was trembling like a leaf and Lindir was sure that he was close to pissing himself out of sheer terror. 

He did manage to manhandle Zhay so he didn’t face the horses, grasping onto the trembling dark elf like he would a scared toddler. It was bizarre, Zhay was taller than himself but the reactions were extreme and what else could he really do? One of the warriors had dismounted, they had all seen Zhay in the great hall but not up close and Lindir tried to smile. “He haven’t seen horses before, he probably thinks that they want to eat him” 

The warrior almost gaped. “Really? I can assure you that our steeds are harmless unless you are an orc” 

Zhay did dare to turn his head, very slowly. Huge green eyes stared at the strange animals which allowed elves to sit on their backs and he hovered between more fear and curiosity. The warrior did smile. “Here, her name is Tiliroch.”

He did hold the reins to the grey mare and the animal did not move, Zhay was blinking, nervous and yet amazed. The animal was beautiful, he had to admit that and Lindir did reach out and stroked the muzzle of the beast very gently. Zhay did the same, very reluctantly, almost as if he expected to get bitten. The mare just sniffed the hand and Zhay did laugh, a very nervous giggle. Then he did dare to touch the soft skin and before long he was petting the mare like crazy, Lindir had to keep him away from the hindquarters and other more dangerous areas. Elven horses are smart and patient and the mare did realize that this was something akin to an elfling so she didn’t move a hoof.   
The warrior did gesture for the others to go on without him and he smiled. “Would you like to try?” 

Zhay didn’t understand and Lindir gestured towards the saddle. “ Try?” 

 

Zhay did wet his lips, then he nodded. The warrior did lead the horse onto the grass, there was a small open area there and Lindir did help Zhay get up into the saddle. The dark elf did cling to the saddle horn with both hands, eyes huge and chin trembling until he did find his balance. The warrior did start to lead the horse in a circle, slowly walking and Zhay squealed at first and then he did smile. It was a smile of amazement and wonder and Lindir did nod. “You are doing great Zhay, go on” 

Zhay had never believed that he would sit like this, on top of a huge animal and not be terribly afraid but he wasn’t. The movements underneath him wasn’t that unpleasant and he was so high above the ground, he could see everything up there! He let out a peal of joy and the warrior did turn to Lindir. “Is he always this cheerful?” 

Lindir shook his head. “No, but increasingly often.” 

The warrior did allow the mare to walk for a few more minutes and Zhay did smile and cheer and he appeared to be completely relaxed by now, enjoying it just like an elfling would. Lindir did realize that the best way to deal with Zhay was to treat him like an elfling, simple as that. 

Elrond was told of this later in the day and decided that Zhay should learn how to ride, it was good for him and he needed the physical challenge too. Being inactive wasn’t good. He made a training schedule and also a plan over what Zhay should eat to gain strength again as fast as possible. He had some very docile horses and he was rather sure that Gildarion who was the stable master would love to teach Zhay more about horses. 

Imladris was a place where several races would meet to trade and exchange news and a couple of days later a small delegation of humans did arrive at the valley. They were merchants on the way to the coast and Elrond did welcome them but he didn’t like this interference at all. Some of the men were from the east and they did act in a manner the ancient elf didn’t like. Some humans simply didn’t like elves and others did like them, too much. He of course knew why, elves are seen as very beautiful by most humans and their youthful appearance can be tempting for those with doubtful moral. He just hoped that these men weren’t of the sort which can cross the line between admiration and assault. 

Zhay had started his training and although he did love it he realized that riding wasn’t as easy as he first imagined. It left his butt sore, his legs did ache and the animals still didn’t do anything he wanted it to. The stable master would just laugh and Zhay did trust the elf, he was a kind soul and very friendly. Zhay had come to realize that these elves didn’t know his kind at all, they had no idea of what drow truly were and thus they weren’t hostile. It was a relief and yet Zhay felt as if he was betraying them somehow. They ought to know that his race was vile and wicked and just bad to the bone. He often sat there thinking about it, wondering if he was as bad as the others, deep inside. He didn’t know, truly. 

But he and Lindir did often go to the baths together, and they had become friends, sort of. Zhay did speak more than a few words of Sindarin now, he could form some simple sentences but the way he did pronounce the words were often horrid and caused everybody to just explode in laughter. Zhay would laugh too, he knew the difference of being laughed at and laughed with and he had started to feel safe there. The future did look much brighter now and he was starting to hope that he wouldn’t have to return to his former occupation at all. Nobody had made a move on him and they were all so very nice. 

This evening he had been riding for a couple of hours and he was very stiff and did smell too. He had fallen off and landed in manure, something which had filled him with an infinite amount of disgust. Now he and Lindir were in the baths, Lindir had just composed a new song and was eager to present it to the public and Zhay were trying to get all the filth out of his hair. He did wear it braided most of the time now and under Elrond’s care it had become silky and soft again. Lindir did help him with it and had to admit defeat, laughing. “It is so tangled, go get a comb will you?” 

Zhay did understand most of what was being said now, he just hadn’t the vocabulary needed to answer all of the time. He did nod and left the pool, there was a small storage room at the back of the baths where they kept such items, and spare towels. He ran off, eager to get his hair fixed. 

Lindir was humming to himself, washing his own thick brown hair and enjoying the heat, he didn’t really think of anything until he heard a door open somewhere. At first he was sure it was Zhay returning, then he did smell something unfamiliar and opened his eyes. He did yip, it was four humans, and they were wearing only towels and they grinned. Lindir was well behaved, he was told to be courteous towards any guest there in Imladris and he tried to be, even towards the occasional dwarves even though their lack of table manners and hygiene often made Lindir puke. Lindir did manage to send the humans a stiff smile and wished that he too had a towel to cover himself with. Elves have no feeling of shame when it comes to their bodies but he didn’t like the way these humans did stare at him. The four did grin even wider, and he felt a surge of repulsion, they were so…animalistic! How could anybody stand to have that much body hair? It was disgusting, and the bad skin? Lindir did shudder and moved towards the back of the pool, not wanting to have anything to do with any of them.

The humans just dropped the towels and went inn and Lindir did cringe yet again, the sigh made him feel queasy. He tried to signal that he wanted to be left alone with his body language but the men didn’t seem to notice, or maybe they didn’t care. “Look at this pretty one, I always wondered if elves do have a manhood at all” 

One of the others did answer. “Well, you may check that out now, maybe this is an elf maid?” 

They were getting closer and Lindir felt a surge of panic, the men did speak some sort of dialect he didn’t understand and yet the meaning was clear. He tried to jump out of the pool but a rough hand did grasp his hair and pulled him back down. He went under, thrashing around as hands suddenly grasped him and he felt a hand between his legs, fondling him not too gently. “Wouldn’t you know it, it does have a cock after all!”

That was when a dark shadow seemed to fly out of nowhere, knocking the men over with a clear lack of finesse but a lot of zeal. 

Zhay had not found a good comb right away, he had to light a lamp to be able to see anything in there and when he did find a comb he did hear something strange. He did sneak his way back to the room with the pools and what he did see made his blood run cold. He had seen the humans from afar, Lindir hadn’t sounded as if he was too fond of them and neither were Elrond and now Zhay realized why. These men were trying to violate Lindir! Zhay just exploded, he didn’t think, he didn’t have time for that. He did simply attack, trying to save his friend from such a horrible fate. 

Zhay hadn’t been taught how to fight at all, he just wanted them off his friend and the first desperate attack did toss them to the side. Lindir did manage to wrestle himself free from the grasp of the men but one of them still had a hold of his hair and pulled, hard. Lindir did fall again but this time his head did crash into the edge of the pool and he appeared to be knocked out. The men did turn on Zhay, one did haul Lindir up onto the edge of the pool and was obviously preparing to molest him, the other three attacked Zhay and he didn’t really stand much of a chance. He was stronger than a human being just because he was an elf but three large burly men who were well used to using force was beyond him since he hadn’t been trained. Hands did grasp onto him, he tried to fight in a state of absolute panic but they were too experienced and too ruthless. Before he knew it his hands were tied behind his back with fabric from a towel and he was thrown onto the edge of the pool next to Lindir. Another piece of fabric was brutally tied around his head to gag him and his mind went blank, not again! Oh every God, please, not again. He couldn’t bear it, he tried to squirm but he was held down and felt how his legs were being forced apart yet again. 

He was cold to the bone, heart racing, fear made him sweat and shiver and there was nothing he could do to protect himself, nothing. He didn’t have any magic, any weapons and compared with these brutes he was like a child. The one who had hauled Lindir out of the pool was already making use of him, holding the slender legs aside as he was eagerly thrusting into the body, moaning and gasping as he went for it. Zhay felt sick, no, worse than sick. He had hoped that such horrors didn’t happen in this world and yet it did, it almost broke his heart. “Gods, he is so tight and good!”

The man raping Lindir just grunted it and Zhay felt how the man behind him pushed against his opening, trying to gain access. He tried to resist and squeeze but the man was too eager and too brutal, Zhay felt a scream building up on the inside as the man slid into him, the agony was worse than ever before, like fire. He was gagged, couldn’t make a sound and the other men were panting with arousal and he knew that they too would use him soon. He would rather have slit his own throat. The man who was taking Lindir let out a hoarse groan and shuddered, he was obviously coming and laid there gasping before pulling out. One of the two who held Zhay down did take his place immediately and Zhay felt the world starting to grow dark around him, he was passing out from pain and horror. There was blood seeping into the pool from underneath Lindir’s body and he had blood in his hair too, he could be badly injured and yet these humans did just continue? 

Zhay had thought that his race were the worst of the worst but now he did realize that perhaps the drow weren’t that bad after all, or rather, they were no different than anybody else. The man in him did grunt and froze, shuddering and Zhay felt it, the warmth of his cum inside of his body and he wanted to scream, to be gone, to hide away from this. He did barely have time to gasp for air before he was mounted again, eagerly and with zeal and pain shot through him, the man did bite his neck and he was thrusting very hard and with no empathy at all, Zhay could feel his old injuries being reopened. “Damn it, who would have thought that elves could be that good to fuck? We have been missing out!”

Zhay saw that Lindir’s body did twitch with every thrust the human did and he wished that this only had happened to himself, Lindir should have been spared this horrible fate. Zhay tried to pull at the fabric holding him in place but it was no good. They were too strong. The man fucking Lindir did swear and grunt and leaned forth, licking at the unconscious elf’s neck while mumbling something very obscene and the others did laugh. “If their menfolk are this good I wonder about their women, they must be even tighter and firmer”

The man on top of Zhay did pant. “We can try to find out?” 

That was when Lindir woke up, the poor minstrel let out a piercing wail of fear and pain and shock and Zhay knew that he had a powerful voice but this was beyond powerful, it was ear deafening. The man on top of him did slap Lindir across the face, hard. Lindir’s eyes did roll back into his head and Zhay realized that it wasn’t because of the slap but shock. “Curse it, do you think anybody heard that?” 

The other men did shake their heads. “The building has thick walls, nobody was near it when we entered. “

The man kept thrusting between Lindir’s legs, the redness of the face revealed that he was close. “Good, I want to make use of them both, damn it is good”

Zhay had given up, he just laid there, tears wetting his face as his body was being ravaged again and again and if there ever was any doubt in his mind that he was cursed it was gone now. Even here he was going to suffer and he was making others suffer too. He shouldn’t truly be there, shouldn’t have been allowed to live. If these men did kill him they would do the world a favour. He didn’t blink, his eyes open but not really seeing anything as he was being used, blood and seed seeping out of him and he was going cold. Lindir didn’t move either, he was deathly pale and Zhay realized that his friend was dying. He let out a wail which was being stopped by the fabric of the gag, how could the gods allow this to happen? He kept screaming into the gag, until the world was just white light around him and he was close to passing out from a lack of air. 

At first he thought it was thunder, then he heard boots against the floor and loud shouts and the weight on top of him was gone and something warm seemed to rain over him. There was pain and then cool air against his skin and the gag was removed and so were the towel binding his arms together. He opened his eyes, shivering all over. A pair of ice blue eyes were staring at him, wide with shock but also understanding. He was being lifted by a strong arm and a deep voice did whisper to him. “Shhhh, easy, you are safe now, it is over. I will protect you little one!”  
Zhay did burrow his face against the neck of the very tall blonde elf, he was feeling tired, horribly tired and what was happening? Why was he hurting, had he fallen? His mind was like a tuff of cotton, not working. He looked down, some elves in green uniforms were wrapping up Lindir in a cloak, calling out for Elrond to be brought there quick, there was so much blood in the pool, was somebody hurt? Zhay did whimper, the world was spinning, couldn’t somebody make it stop? He was going to be sick and the tall male did hold him, gently. “Let it out, don’t try to resist. Drain yourself of their darkness” 

Zhay looked at the pool, four bodies did float there, headless. The tall male held him with just one arm, he had to be terribly strong, and in the other one he held a sword, a narrow elegant longsword which was dripping with blood. Zhay did squeal, the sight of so much blood did make him feel even more light headed. This tall male had saved him, he did realize so much and then it did all return to him and Zhay let out a scream of anguish before he passed out like a candle.   
Thranduil was aghast, the fact that his daily schedule had brought him by the bathhouse just in time for his guards to be alerted to a scream coming from the inside had been sheer luck. And the fact that they were heading for the training grounds bearing arms was also extremely lucky. They had entered the pool room in silence, not sure of what was going on but what Thranduil had seen had been so horrible he had hesitated for a few seconds. One ghastly human eagerly fucking an unconscious Lindir while another one was doing the same to Zhay, and he was awake but gagged and bound, two other men holding him down, touching themselves and panting with wicked joy. He had seen Zhay’s eyes, empty and almost dead, the expression on his face one of resignation and lost hope. 

Thranduil had snapped, he had fought in countless battles, he had killed hundreds if not thousands of orcs but never had he felt such satisfaction as he did when his blade did cut through the necks of these monstrosities. The men didn’t even have time to react, he was using his full force and he almost roared as he did decapitate them all. 

He stared at the pool, shuddering, before he gently picked up the bleeding dark elf, his eyes were rolling and he knew that the poor creature was going into shock. “Pull the bodies out and get Elrond, he may be able to save Lindir still “ 

Thranduil was shaking with rage, a human being, violating an elf, it was…he just couldn’t understand it at all and he tried to focus upon the trembling being in his arm. He did sheath his blade and carried Zhay over to a bench, the dark elf was unconscious now and Thranduil felt a burning sensation of rage and helplessness mixed with an odd tenderness. The dark elf had tried to hide against his body, like a child would when hurt and he sighed and tried to get an idea of the injuries. One shoulder was dislocated, but the worst of the damage was between Zhay’s legs and Thranduil hissed in a mix of compassion and utter disgust. Rape was almost completely unknown among the elves, a crime which hadn’t even been named among the first tribes. He did make a decision there and then, his people weren’t stranger to this sort of injury, many times they had managed to rescue those captured by orcs only to find that they had been made use of in such a horrible manner and his healers knew how to deal with the psychological impact. Here in Imladris they didn’t, and the noldor weren’t able to cope with such shocks at all, they would perish, almost without exception. 

He wouldn’t let that happen to Zhay, he would make sure that the dark skinned elf did survive, he had to. There was solid determination within his eyes, he would take care of Zhay, nurse him back to health at all costs. 

Elrond and some other elves came running, wild eyed and pale and Elrond saw Lindir and let out a shriek of disbelief and shock. Thranduil didn’t hold that against him, Lindir was such a sweet young elf and a favourite of everybody, there wasn’t a mean bone in his body. If he did die it would be a horrible loss to the valley, to them all.   
Elrond did kneel down and pulled away the cloak, he did visibly cringe and Thranduil did rock Zhay in his arms. “I am sorry, we were too late to save them, one of them managed to scream and we heard it just by chance” 

Elrond was gasping, tears flowing down his cheeks. “Oh Eru, I would never have…Thank you Thranduil, you did the right thing” 

He got Lindir over onto a stretcher and Thranduil did still carry Zhay. “I would never have anticipated that these humans were that horrible, if I had I would have put guards on them at all times. This is my fault” 

Thranduil did pat his shoulder. “No, it isn’t your fault. The only fault lies with the men, who thought that they could force themselves onto two of the firstborn thus. Bastards!” 

Elrond did look at the way Thranduil did hold Zhay. “Can you carry him with you to the infirmary?” 

Thranduil nodded and didn’t care if his robes were being soiled with blood and seed and water. He felt a deep sorrow, watching something as lovely as this being violated thus was heart wrenching and just wrong, Zhay did belong with him, he would keep the lovely creature safe for always. It was a sacred promise. 

They arrived at the infirmary and Elrond went to work, desperately trying to rescue them both. Lindir was the worst off, his body hadn’t experienced such a violation before and he was most definitely a virgin so he had been literally torn open. Elrond managed to stop the bleed, stitch up the tears and clean the area but he did doubt that Lindir would survive. If he did he would most likely sail, there wasn’t any other solution. The trauma was just too great for a normal elf to handle. 

Zhay wasn’t much better, also torn and bleeding but there was still some healing magic left within his body from the last time and that had already stopped the worst of the bleed. Elrond tried to be cool and distant while working but it was hard, darn hard. He did love Lindir like a son and seeing him thus was ghastly. It was very possible that the singer would simply let go and leave his body behind for the halls, Elrond could barely bear the thought. And Zhay, who had started to come out of his shell, had started to flourish and show them all a bright and cheerful personality…What did he think of this world now? The healers were working hard, and when the morning came both injured elves were still alive but only barely. Lindir was so weak he was barely breathing and Zhay seemed to have simply given up. He was awake but didn’t respond to anything, he just laid there, staring at nothing. Elrond had never seen anything that depressing since his wife’s departure for Aman and his heart did weep. 

Thranduil did sit by Zhay’s side the whole time and he started to wonder if the king indeed did feel something special for the dark elf. He wouldn’t have done this for anybody else, that was for darn sure. Elrond was exhausted after a few days, he gave the two so much energy he could spare and it drained him. Thranduil did approach him every now and then and Elrond had to explain everything he had done in detail, but it was almost reassuring in a way, almost normal. Zhay wasn’t alone in the world as long as anybody did care and Thranduil did seem to care, a lot. A week after it was clear that both would survive but Lindir had been broken, there was just fear and loathing in his eyes and he refused to eat or even touch his own skin. Elrond made a decision, autumn was coming and they couldn’t hesitate, he did arrange for Lindir to be transported to the grey havens to set sail. It was the only chance the singer had and his heart did sink within his chest knowing they would lose their songbird thus but it was the only option. Lindir would fade otherwise. 

Thranduil did come to him one evening, and Elrond knew that the king wanted something, it was very clear. Thranduil did hesitate, then he did sit down. “Elrond, I want to bring Zhay with me, my people know how to deal with trauma, and most of the victims of such crime do recover among us. We know how to deal with it.” 

Elrond did squint. “And what is in that for you?” 

Thranduil did sigh and lowered his head. “I am not completely unselfish Elrond, you do know me. I have taken an interest in Zhay, I…I cannot explain it but my soul…I feel as though we belong together” 

Elrond sighed and stared at his desk, he knew that Thranduil was right, the sindar elves of Mirkwood were experienced with such trauma. Their warriors did risk it knowingly, it was just a part of life there. “If you indeed can help Zhay I will be forever grateful, we have all become rather fond of him, and I must admit that this whole tragedy had made us very upset. We are losing Lindir, I cannot really bear the idea of losing yet another patient”

Thranduil did sigh. “That is very understandable, but I swear that I will take care of him” 

Elrond stared straight at the tall sinda.”He has been abused before, I have a feeling that his entire life has been naught but abuse. You must promise me that you won’t force him into anything, he may never be able to be intimate with anybody again, I am just warning you” 

Thranduil sighed. “I know, but…I need to help him, I just know I do.” 

Elrond took a deep breath. “Alright, you may bring him with you, if he does agree that is. I will not force him to leave if staying in what he truly wants.” 

Thranduil did nod and smiled, he did shake Elrond’s hand and grinned. “I will not disappoint you, I swear!” 

He did walk off to the infirmary and stopped by Zhay’s bed. The dark skinned elf just laid there, passive and his eyes were dull and distant. Thranduil did sit down, trying to find the right words to say. He had to make Zhay see the reality of this, to make him wish to come with the sinda. He reached out, took Zhay’s hand gently. “Zhay? It is I, Thranduil” 

The dark elf did barely move, but Thranduil could sense that he was aware, that he knew he wasn’t alone. “You…you did well, I know you tried to save Lindir” 

Zhay made a sort of whimper. “Not strong enough” 

Thranduil bit his lower lip, how was he to say this? “Maybe, but you tried! You…you did what everybody would do” 

Zhay did sigh. “Not enough, failed” 

Thranduil got an idea, he did squeeze the hand lightly. “Zhay, I can give you an offer, I have many warriors and some…some have been captured by orcs, and…violated, like you.” 

Zhay did turn his head slowly. The eyes had lost their sparkle and the king did cringe, this was unfair, horrible, a real shame. “And?” 

The voice was low, hollow and without emotions and Thranduil took a deep breath. “I can train you, make you strong, so this never has to happen again. You are strong Zhay, if you had been a warrior those humans would never have been able to hurt you or Lindir”

Zhay did look away again. “Not worthy, warriors…warriors not…whores!”

Thranduil did gasp, his eyes filled with a sort of horror. “Zhay, you cannot say that about yourself?! Please, consider my offer! Nobody will be able to abuse you again!!”

Zhay swallowed. “Nobody?” 

Thranduil nodded. “Yes, nobody! I promise you, you will be so much more than before” 

The dark skinned elf did close his eyes, some tears did flow down his cheeks and Thranduil did yearn to reach out and wipe them away but he didn’t dare to. He knew that any touch now would be one touch too many, he would have to wait. “Okay, I go…with you”

Thranduil couldn’t help but feeling a short surge of triumph but he did feel almost guilty right away. He didn’t want Zhay to follow him home because of something like the horrible event in the bathhouse, but beggars cannot afford to be choosers and maybe he would be able to help the dark elf overcome this horror. He did smile and held the hand, trying to sound optimistic. “You will get better Zhay, just you wait and see. Before long you will outdo even my best warriors” 

Thranduil hoped that he hadn’t just told one huge fat lie, Zhay of all people didn’t deserve to be lied to.


	4. In the king's favour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zhay is getting better and Thranduil has plans, but he isnt the only one scheming...

Chapter four: In the king’s favour

The king and his entourage did leave early one morning, Zhay was still weak and they had bought a wagon from Elrond so he didn’t have to ride. He was very quiet now, didn’t speak much at all and had sort of retreated into himself and Elrond was heartbroken. The valley was still in shock from the incident and Lindir had already been sent off towards the havens with a group of warriors guarding him. The bodies of the four men had been burned, very unceremoniously the way they did with orcs and from now on no human would be allowed to roam freely around there without an armed guard nearby at all times. 

Zhay was healing well, surprisingly enough but his mind was shattered, and Elrond believed that he knew just why. He hadn’t been able to protect Lindir and saw that as a failure, and the guilt was crushing him. Thranduil did spend time with Zhay quite often, he would just sit there and listen as Zhay was rambling in his own tongue and even if the tall sinda didn’t understand it, it did seem as if it helped Zhay when he got to talk of it, even if the listener didn’t understand. 

The journey to Mirkwood would take weeks, and the wagon wasn’t all that luxurious but Zhay didn’t complain and he did take some interest in its construction and use. He was intrigued by the harnesses the horses used and the driver would let him sit next to him at times and Zhay did learn how to drive the thing. In these moments, when he did forget about the horrors, he would show that cheerful personality of his again, and all the warriors who followed Thranduil had come to like Zhay a lot. It wasn’t just sympathy for a person who had suffered but he had a sort of innocence which was very endearing. Thranduil did show him different trees and plants, told the names of the rivers and hills and Zhay did listen and learned with wide eyed fascination. Then he would suddenly remember and shut himself off again for days at a time before emerging slowly from the shell. 

The warriors knew this sort of reaction, they had seen it before and they knew when to give Zhay some room and his privacy. At night he would sleep in the wagon and he lay there listening to the sounds of the forest and at first he was petrified but slowly he got used to the sounds and didn’t react at all. That was until they reached some glades to the south of Longlake and encountered the herds of elk which did roam there. The sound of the bucks roaring sent Zhay into a fit of complete panic and Thranduil had to hold the trembling drow and actually call some of the deer forth so Zhay could see that it was only normal animals and not some horrid monster. That made Zhay very embarrassed but the sinda king didn’t hold it against him at all. 

The real problem didn’t really appear until they reached the depth of Mirkwood and they encountered the webs of the huge spiders which had become such a nuisance. Zhay did notice them after they had passed by quite a few, the warriors did remove them one by one and Zhay froze when he saw the size of the webs. He did look terrified and Thranduil did realize that Zhay was familiar with spiders, and horribly scared of them. They did drive for yet a few miles and when they cleared out a huge web between several trees two spiders came scurrying in a full on attack. The sight made Zhay scream and pass out and he did piss himself too, the spiders were obviously something the dark elf feared above all else. 

By now he did speak a sort of Sindarin and that night Thranduil sat down with him and started asking questions. At first Zhay was reluctant to say anything but Thranduil did promise that nothing Zhay said would make him change his mind when it came to Zhay and his future. That made the dark elf speak, although reluctantly. Over the night he told Thranduil everything, the truth about his past and his people and the sinda was aghast but at the same time impressed. Zhay had to be very strong indeed not to have succumbed to the wickedness of his surroundings. He was a pure spirit and that was so very valuable. The worship of spiders made Thranduil cringe and he did ensure Zhay that spiders were killed upon sight, only the small ones which did catch flies were allowed to live and they weren’t in any way a danger to anybody. 

That calmed Zhay down a bit and Thranduil had to sit and think for a while. Zhay had been a breeding slave, no other word could describe his situation and the very idea was absolutely revolting. But it was a fate he had shared with elves also in this realm, the pits of Angband had been pretty similar to the world Zhay had described and he wondered if this Llolth was some incarnation of Ungoliant. They kept moving and Thranduil made sure that Zhay ate well and that he did move around a bit. He was healed by now, at least physically but the mental scars were there still. Any touch would make him shrink away, looking rather scared and Thranduil knew that they needed to make the young drow love his body again. It would be a hard fight though. 

The realm was aware of the king’s return, the scouts had seen them from afar and the fact that they did bring a wagon was puzzling. Was anybody hurt? The king could be seen riding his great warhorse up front so it wasn’t him and the warriors were all there. As they crossed the bridge to the gates Zhay was staring at the entrance with huge eyes. Thranduil had told him that they lived in a cave and Zhay was well used to that. After all, the underdark was a huge cave system. But this wasn’t like any cave he had ever seen. Thranduil kept Zhay inside of the wagon until they could spread the word of his presence. The king gathered his warriors and told them of Zhay and that he had been violated and abused and that he had taken it upon himself to heal the young elf. The conversations they had had told Thranduil that Zhay was barely an adult the way they saw it, he couldn’t be much over a hundred and ten years if he was even that old and the things he told the warriors made them gape and stare. 

When Zhay was allowed out of the wagon the warriors already saw him as a long lost little brother they had to take care of and the sympathy could be felt. The news spread among the courtiers and servants too and many came to witness this strange elf. Zhay did hide behind Thranduil like a child and the nervous looks and the fact that he was very young immediately turned on the maternal instincts of the females there and Thranduil was glad, his protégé would be well taken care of for sure. There was a meal served and Zhay was as always very hungry and ate with remarkable appetite. That naturally made him very popular with the chefs, anybody who did appreciate good food like that was appreciated by them and he was even served some Dorwinion wine. It was very strong so it was just a few drops but the taste was definitely to his liking. 

Afterwards Thranduil did take him to the baths and made sure that they were alone there, Zhay had huge problems bathing with others now and he did only relax when Thranduil did promise to stay there, well armed and ready for anything. Zhay did bathe rather fast, he didn’t feel safe and yet the idea of getting clean was so very tempting. Thranduil was sorely tempted too, Zhay was beyond gorgeous, he was exquisite and the king already knew that the drow had caught his carnal interest. Now after he had learned the truth about the drow he had started to feel something else too, a sort of curiosity and need to understand. The drow were basically orcs the way he saw it, but Zhay had managed to stay pure. How was that even possible? 

The next step was a quick stop at the healers, Zhay didn’t like it but he knew that it was needed and the gentle and very maternal female healer who took it upon her to be the one responsible for Zhay did confirm that his injuries were healed. He had no problems with the normal bodily functions and the tears were gone. Elrond had done a marvellous job there. The tattoos did make her curious and Thranduil had to reveal the truth to her, Zhay had been a sex toy, a breeder and nothing more and she was stunned by this piece of information. But he was hale and Thranduil promised that they would start training him very soon. He would need a couple of days to settle down and then Thranduil would find somebody to train him. At first he thought of his son, Legolas was a very patient one and he had trained several good warriors but the idea of having his son interact with somebody Thranduil had an interest in made him cringe. So he chose Feren instead, the warrior was not too old and also very experienced. He thought that the very kind and open hearted Feren could reach Zhay way better than an older and more traditional warrior. 

Zhay had gotten some rooms of his own not far from those of the king and at first he didn’t dare to leave them unless the king came for him, then he slowly started to dare to explore the huge underground system and it filled him with such awe. He would sit by the waterfalls and just listen to them and he would visit the stables and give treats to the horses. His childlike innocence did make him very popular even among those who at first found the idea of a black elf atrocious. Legolas was out on patrol and would return soon and Thranduil was a bit nervous about it. His son was observant and wouldn’t miss the fact that his father had taken a real interest in this stranger, he just hoped that his son wouldn’t resent Zhay in any manner.   
Feren proved to be just what Zhay needed, he was very skilled and experienced and yet not hardened and he started the training the way they would start a young elfling.

It wasn’t hard at all and Zhay was eager to learn, in fact a bit too eager. He wasn’t going to be helpless again and he yearned to become as efficient and lethal as the warriors he saw training there each day. He was willing to push himself way too hard and Feren had to put the brakes on rather often. If Zhay did overdo this he would become injured and also, he wouldn’t learn things properly. It was way worse to be half capable than to be unable completely. 

The training did slowly progress. Zhay had never had any sorts of weapons training at all and he did so many blunders it was a wonder Feren didn’t give up. The dark elf could barely hold a sword correctly and something as simple as the proper stance had to be repeated again and again. Zhay had little body control, that was the problem. The only sort of body movements he had learned were the ones he needed whence in bed with somebody and Feren knew this. Thus he did involve one of the ellith of the court, a noble woman who was an expert at dancing. It was expected of everybody that they knew how to dance and Zhay would have to take lessons sooner or later and Ornoriel was the one who taught the elflings how to do the different moves. 

Zhay had problems with this, Ornoriel was a female and he couldn’t even look at her, if she did touch him he would wince and it did take weeks before he started to learn something for real. By then Legolas had returned and he was shocked by the sight of a black skinned elf. Thranduil didn’t try to hide anything, he was honest and Legolas did appreciate this even though the idea of his father wanting an affair with somebody barely mature was a bit shocking. Legolas would perhaps have resented Zhay if he hadn’t seen that the dark elf was such a truly troubled and yet sweet soul and he did in a way understand his father. Zhay was gorgeous and he knew how protective Thranduil could become of those he saw as his family or loved ones. 

The dancing did improve Zhay’s body control and he found that he did love it, the freedom of the dance and the music helped him forget and since his movements became more free his training did finally show some results. Thranduil did teach Zhay some board games and they would sit there playing until very late and the king felt the urge to caress that long silky hair, to taste the sweet lips but knew that it was too early yet. Zhay wasn’t able to handle any such attempts yet. So the king would bid the dark elf goodnight and when Zhay was well and good returned to his own quarters the king would put a hand to himself just to relieve the burning need he now felt each day. 

The warriors of the realm would often sit down with Zhay and tell him stories of their adventures and slowly they did breach the sore subject, told of their own experiences and there were in fact several among them who had been captured by orcs but had been rescued. Zhay would listen and slowly he did manage to use words to describe his own feelings. He told of Lindir and the attack and some of his own past and the feeling of acceptance and support brought him to tears. He wasn’t afraid to enter the baths anymore, now he could go there whenever he needed to and he allowed the servants to trim his hair and braid it with colourful beaded ribbons. Against his black skin that was a lovely contrast.   
Zhay did flourish and as he forgot about his fears he became a very affectionate person, he loved to make others happy and he would often pick flowers and gift them to the chefs and the healers and he was marvellous with the elflings. That was somehow a sore spot and Thranduil knew about the fact that Zhay probably had several offspring, children he never had met nor ever would and it was such a sad thing. But he loved playing with the young ones and he would act very child like then. Thranduil realized that Zhay never had had a childhood, he had been a thing even back then, a nuisance until he was useful. 

Winter had passed by and as the summer did approach the realm they did receive visitors from other realms, a rather large group came from the coast, they were sea elves who came to trade and to copy some old scrolls from the library and they did at times regard the forest elves with a bit of arrogance. The sight of Zhay did shock them and some did show open disgust. Thranduil didn’t like that so they did change that rather fast but it was no doubt about their attitudes. Zhay did stay away from them, and Thranduil became very protective indeed. When there were feasts he would place Zhay close to him and show everybody that the dark elf was under his protection and if they didn’t approve, well screw them. 

Unbeknown to all one of the visitors had a rather hidden agenda, she was the daughter of a nobleman who had lived in Lindon after the fall of Doriath and she was very ambitious. She had come with one thing in mind, to get into the bed of the king and she knew that Thranduil was an honourable ellon. If she became fruitful after such an encounter he would have to marry her and she had managed to get her hands on herbs which would ensure that she would conceive. The king had been alone for a long time and even if he had mistresses she knew how to seduce and manipulate. The discovery of that odd black elf wasn’t one she had taken into the equation, he was a shock but she did doubt that the youngster was the king’s lover. They did never touch and the relationship seemed to be that of a benign father figure and a step child. So she didn’t really understand that Thranduil was far from interested in anybody except his ward. 

Barariel was not going to let anything get in her way and she knew a lot about the king, including his love of rare gems. She had managed to get her hands on a necklace which was very valuable and made from fire opals. The stones were amazing and she also knew that the best way to approach the king was to not approach him at all. He was probably dead tired of ellith trying to flatter and seduce their way into his bedchamber. So her approach was the opposite, playing very hard to get and at the same time catching his attention.   
There was a feast being held in honour of the summer and she did put on a rather anonymous dress and didn’t really put much effort into her appearance at all. She was beautiful as all elves but the one thing she did do was wear that necklace. It was spectacular and if she did try to avoid the attention of his majesty she was sure he would become intrigued by her. After all, it was rather rare. 

Zhay was to be at the party too, by now he was feeling safe enough to mingle with the others and he would talk with the other warriors and share their jokes and have a very good time. He knew that Thranduil was there to protect him. As the evening went Zhay became a bit tipsy and he was very charming when he was a bit drunk, giving compliments to everybody and the locals did adore him by now. He was so helpful and grateful and there wasn’t a mean bone in his body, he would gladly lay down his life to save any of them and it wasn’t only the king who was protective of their new dark skinned brother. The peace and joy he now felt made his beauty even more apparent and many would have loved to get closer to him but they knew that Thranduil was regarding the dark elf as his, also, Zhay wasn’t able to handle that sort of attention just yet. 

Barariel was keeping to herself as usual, she was standing by a table sipping her wine and pretended to be in her own thoughts. The light did make the gems glitter and she knew that the king sooner or later would notice them. She stood by the table with the Dorwinion wine and the king loved that wine above all others. 

She was right, before long the king came sauntering by to refill his cup, on a day like this the servants were allowed to make merry with everybody else and he wouldn’t push them into working. Barariel was just standing there, admiring the carvings on one of the columns carrying the roof and the king was about to just walk by the elleth when the sparkle of her necklace did catch his attention. He turned his head and frowned, what sort of gems were those? He hadn’t seen anything like it and he did stop and tilted his head. “My lady?” 

The elleth did jump, she had been in her own thoughts and Thranduil did apologize. “I startled you, I am very sorry but your necklace, what are those gems?” 

She looked down, a bit overwhelmed by the fact that she was speaking to a king. “They are fire opals my king, I have inherited it from my mother” 

That was a fat lie but the king was interested, yes! Thranduil did frown. “Fire Opals? Where did she get them?” 

Barariel did shrug. “I do not know, my parents came from Doriath originally, I guess they did trade with the dwarves?” 

Thranduil stared at the gems, they were so very rare and the deep colour, it was a necklace worthy of a queen and not this seemingly ordinary elleth. “Really? May I take a closer look?” 

Barariel did hold her face neutral, almost shy as she did undo the clasp and lifted the necklace off her neck. She didn’t even look at the king, tried to look as if his presence in fact did bother her. Thranduil did take the necklace and it was indeed dwarven work but he saw something which did make him confused. “Did your mother bring this with her from Doriath?” 

The elleth did try to smile. “I guess?” 

Thranduil did just nod and felt the gems with his fingers. The method used for cutting these stones wasn’t invented when Doriath fell, the way the gems were attached to the silver wasn’t that old either. The elleth was very ordinary looking and she didn’t try to flirt with him, as a matter of fact she did look as if she would rather have been somewhere else. She wore no wedding ring so she wasn’t a married elleth and Thranduil got an odd feeling within his guts. He had good instincts, he trusted them and something about this one didn’t feel right. He did return the necklace to her with a polite smile. “It is lovely, if you like I can try to determine who the creator was? I have books about the gem smiths of old and I can compare the techniques”

She did smile, a very shy smile. “That would be wonderful yes” 

Thranduil gave her a swift nod. “Good, bring the necklace to the royal library tomorrow evening, we will see what we can do then” 

She did just curtsey and turned around, walking away from him, seemingly humble and meek but Thranduil couldn’t shake that feeling of something being wrong. The necklace was simply too grand and he knew that its value was great. Also, it was rather unique. Why hadn’t he heard of a piece like this? It was probably as flashy as the Nauglamir had been and you could buy a small kingdom with the value of those gems. He had to investigate, there was no other way. 

Zhay had been dancing and having fun the entire evening, he was rather drunk and his mood was very good. He and Feren had been betting on who could throw most balls into a bucket hung on the wall and he had lost with grandeur and now he was enjoying a cup of wine. The warriors were singing something which wasn’t very decent and he did join in, he didn’t know the words but he was so drunk it didn’t matter. 

He was about to go to the table for even more wine when he saw that the king was wandering by, his expression was one of worry and Zhay felt sorry for him right away. The king shouldn’t be worried. He did wander over to Thranduil who did send him a swift smile. “Are you enjoying yourself Zhay?” 

The dark elf nodded, smiling and his eyes did shine. “Yes, I love dancing, and singing.” 

Thranduil had to grin, Zhay was really very charming and obviously very drunk for he was staggering and the body swaying to the music. Gods he was gorgeous. Zhay did pout. “You look worried, why?” 

His Sindarin was rather good now, the vocabulary wasn’t all that large yet but it was growing by the day. Thranduil did sigh. “It is nothing really, just…Do not worry Zhay, it is nothing bad” 

Zhay did giggle and took some steps and he did almost fall. The king did frown. “How much wine have you had?” 

Zhay did hiccup and giggled again, his eyes were rather out of focus and Thranduil started to get worried. “Ah…I don’t know…some cups?” 

The smell told it all, it was Dorwinion and Thranduil did sigh and rolled his eyes. Zhay would become even more drunk soon as the body did absorb the alcohol. “Right, you are going back to your chambers my friend, you will become sick” 

Thranduil did grasp Zhay by the hand and towed him back to the rooms and Zhay was giggling and didn’t resist. Right now he was feeling so incredibly well and everything was fine and why shouldn’t he have some fun? He leaned up against the taller sinda and before Thranduil had time to really react Zhay did kiss him. His lips were so soft and tasted of the sweet wine and for a few seconds the king was simply too stunned to react at all. It was wrong but he couldn’t help it, he did return the kiss, exploring the lips and mouth and pushing against the warm body in front of his. Zhay did moan and Thranduil did break out of the lust induced trance, he couldn’t do it. It wouldn’t be right. Zhay was a victim, his past one of abuse and Thranduil didn’t want to add to the burden. 

He didn’t want to stir up bad memories and even if his body did scream for release he couldn’t act upon it. He was the king damn it, he should exploit a person who had been taught to believe that his only value was as a fuck toy. Zhay did whimper, there was confusion in his eyes and he was clinging to the king’s cape, trembling ever so slightly. “I…” 

He did push his hips against the king’s body and Thranduil felt that Zhay was rock hard, just as himself. Something snapped within him, he grasped the young drow by his waist and pushed open the doors into his own chambers, he felt as if he was possessed somehow. He tore off his cape and tunic and Zhay did lean inn again, kissed him with such amazing hunger and zeal. Warm hands were roaming over his skin, he almost ripped off the tunic Zhay wore and kissed and licked his way along the long slender neck. Zhay did moan again, his eyes dark with lust and Thranduil did throw them both onto the bed. 

He did cup the dark elf’s groin with a hand and the hardness under his hand did twitch, Zhay did arch upwards, eyes closed and mouth open in a wordless wail of need and it was the most erotic thing the king had seen in a very long time. He wanted the drow, he wanted him desperately but he still had some sanity left in spite of the desire which was burning in his blood. He did lean over, kissed Zhay gently and the drow did try to pull the king over on top of him. “Zhay, you are drunk, you…you aren’t yourself…”

Zhay did groan. “I want…never felt like this before, please…I need…I need you” 

Thranduil realized that Zhay in fact never had felt true desire before, he hadn’t really wanted somebody. He had done more fucking than most could ever dream of but it had been forced upon him. He made a decision. “Alrigth, I…I will help you…but I cannot take you…it won’t be right” 

Zhay made a wailing sound and the king sat up and pulled Zhay’s pants down. The drow did writhe against the sheets, the black skin was glistening with sweat and Thranduil did compare the young dark elf with an obsidian statue. It was the alcohol, most certainly. He had to make sure that Zhay didn’t do anything stupid, that he didn’t go with somebody who would take advantage of him. He was just protecting his protégé, his own inner voice was rather filled with sarcasm. He knew the truth, he wanted to fuck Zhay, he wanted to plunge himself into him, grind him into the matrass, thrust until there was nothing except the blinding pleasure of climax. But he couldn’t, his only chance was to make sure that the young drow was satisfied before his own lust became too strong to rein inn. He did pull his own pants down too and turned over onto his side. He did align himself with Zhay and the feeling of hot skin against his own was almost too much. He hadn’t felt that way for ages and Zhay did push his head up against Thranduil’s neck, panting and trembling with sheer need. 

This race had to be rather sensual in its nature with strong urges for he had never encountered somebody who was this aroused before. Zhay was almost aglow with it and the king did reach down and arranged their hips so he could grasp around them both with one hand. Zhay wasn’t as large as himself but he was still impressive considering the slender build and the first touch made him keen and arch. He was already slick with pre cum and the sinda knew that this would be a swift first round for sure. Zhay started to thrust into his grip immediately and he was moaning and gasping and straining, making such exquisite sounds. The king did pant, he was close to, he could feel that tension building up within his body and he let go of all semblance of control and let his own hip join in the ancient rhythm. Zhay did start to shudder, he groaned and then he did bite the king where his shoulder and neck met but the pain was just enticing now, it was just what he needed as he felt that Zhay filled his hand with sticky warmth. He choked a roar as he too came, hard and long, their bodies straining against each other until the tension was gone and they just laid there, gasping and flushed.   
Zhay had a blissful smile on his face and the king had to lick his lips, the drow was truly a gem, and he wished with all his heart that this wouldn’t have bad consequences. Zhay did sigh and opened an emerald green eye. “Thank you, that felt…it was wonderful”

Thranduil did nuzzle the slender dark neck. “Yes, do you feel better now?”

Zhay did giggle. “Yes, it was so good, can we do it again?” 

Thranduil did scoff. “Really? It wasn’t enough?” 

Zhay did shake his head, the silky hair like a halo of snow around his head. “No, I want you my king, for real, please?” 

Thranduil sighed and leaned down, kissed Zhay on the cheek. “Zhay, you are drunk. I do not want to take advantage of you, if you do want to go that far you ought to do it with a clear head!” 

Zhay did pout. “But I want it, it felt so good” 

Thranduil did look down. “Yes, but I won’t take you Zhay, not now” 

The dark elf did groan and he was already hard again, he tried to rub himself against the body next to him and Thranduil did sigh. “You are insatiable young one, alright, I will offer you some relief, again!” 

He did reach down again and started stroking the dark elf in a slow and steady rhythm and Zhay did mewl and closed his eyes in bliss. “Aahh, oh please…oh don’t stop” 

Thranduil was not that used to being with another male but he knew what to do and he discovered that the drow had very sensitive nipples and also that he made a sort of very odd yip the moment he came. It was very cute and the king felt a bit humble. It was no doubt that Zhay did trust him completely now but still, he was drunk and even though Thranduil wanted to fuck him for real that would have to wait until Zhay was sober and aware of what he was doing. Right now his natural desires were in charge instead of his head and the king didn’t want to do anything they would regret come the morrow. 

Zhay just laid there, relaxed and in absolute bliss and Thranduil did pull the covers up over them, Zhay was like a cuddly kitten, trying to get as much physical contact as possible and the king did cringe. “You aren’t used to just cuddling are you?” 

Zhay did grunt, his face pressed against the king’s neck. “No, no cuddling, just…just fucking, never my joy, just theirs. Not like that with you” 

The king did kiss Zhay’s forehead. “I understand, I will never harm you Zhay, know that. You are in charge of what we do or don’t do in these chambers. I am very honoured by your trust”

Zhay did giggle and then he yawned and fell asleep and the king laid there for a while, wondering what would happen next. He wanted to make the relationship official, that would secure Zhay in every manner and nobody would look down upon him. Not that the woodland elves ever would criticise them in any manner but others might and as the king’s consort Zhay would have some power and influence. Legolas wouldn’t mind for sure and the people would be glad on their behalf. Yes, he would announce this soon, that Zhay was to become his consort. It was the right thing to do. He allowed himself to fall asleep and in their sleep they crept up even tighter together, one dark and one light body resting like one. 

The next morning Zhay woke up with an odd feeling of being inside of a cocoon, he gasped and opened his eyes in shock. He was laying in the kings bed and the king lay there next to him, sleeping soundly. Zhay swallowed, had they? He felt the warmth of Thranduil’s body and it felt safe, he felt safe. No, they hadn’t gone the whole way but he had wanted to, by every god he had wanted to and it was so strange for he should be terrified of it, and yet he wasn’t, not when it was with Thranduil. He would be terrified if somebody else tried to have sex with him but he was sure that it would be wonderful if it was with the king. 

He relaxed and grinned, remembered the feelings he had had and he knew it had been real. Back in the underdark he had never really wanted anybody, his body had been trained to react like a machine but this…this night it had been his true feelings which did run free and he felt as if he had seen the light at last. He nuzzled against the king’s body and Thranduil did grin and opened his eyes. “Zhay” 

The voice was very loving and Zhay did grin and kissed the king slowly. “Good morning” 

Thranduil did sit up, he felt well rested and optimist. “Zhay, I have been thinking. If you are sure that you truly want to be with me I can make you my consort” 

Zhay did blink. “What is that?” 

Thranduil did kiss his hand gently. “It is a spouse, you will not be royalty but we will be a couple for as long as you like” 

Zhay did grin widely. “Oh yes, yes, I want that”

The king did pull him into a hug. “Good, I will announce it in a few days, first I have to prepare the staff here and my servants. The people does already love you, just as I do. You will be safe forever” 

Zhay let out a shivering sigh of joy and relief. Safe forever, it was a wonderful thought and he couldn’t really imagine being with anybody except the king. The king had saved him and this place was home now. Yes, it would be wonderful, he was sure of it. The dark clouds had been swept aside by the sun. 

 

One of the servants came into the kitchen, snickering. The chef did stare at him. “What are you grinning for?” 

The ellon put down the basket of bread and raised an eyebrow. “I just came from the king’s chamber. He hadn’t been alone in bed tonight, the room did reek of release and he had a bite mark on his neck. I am rather sure that we will have a bonding ceremony soon!” 

The chef did giggle. “Oh how wonderful, he does deserve some happiness in his life, and that dark elf is just perfect for him. They make such a stunning couple.” 

The servant nodded and left the kitchen and the chef did rub her hands together. Finally something to gossip about, oh this was wonderful news. Nobody ought to be alone for too long, and the king had become so much more open and merry after Zhay came to them. He did truly need somebody to care about. Before the evening the entire palace would know of this, and everybody would rejoice. She ran off to tell everybody she knew of the development and she had no idea of the damage her loose tongue would unleash. To some the news was very unwelcome indeed, something had to be done.


	5. Out of darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zhay has to prove his worth, somebody is indeed out to ruin his newfound happiness...

Chapter 5: Out of darkness

The court was not shocked, everybody had expected this piece of news and thus there was little confusion to be seen. Instead most did cheer and bring forth blessings and congratulations and Zhay stood next to the king and was blushing although it was impossible to see. Thanduil didn’t try to hide the truth and he was in many ways overwhelmed by his own luck. He did love Zhay and now they would be together forever, it was a good thought. But not everybody there was happy, in fact there was one person within the castle who now was on the verge of despair. She only had less than a month to avoid that the king did marry this excuse for an elf. The ceremony was to be held at a feast held in honour of the lady Yavanna and whence that was done she had lost her chance. So she had to act fast, very fast. She had to make her move way before she initially intended to and she did also have to use methods which were far from clean. 

Barariel was no stranger to using dirty tricks, she knew of herbs which would help her achieving her goal but she didn’t have them with her. That was a problem but there were healers there and they had a very well stocked infirmary. The things she did need were probably obtainable there, but she couldn’t allow anyone to know that she needed those herbs. One of them had only one use and if she asked for it everybody would know what she was up to. So she came up with a plan rather fast, she was a fast thinker and had no problems coming up with a solution. Whence the court had calmed down from the announcement she did head towards the healers office, she had an excuse and it was a good one. She was in luck, there was just one healer present at the time for normally very little did happen there and the elleth in question was making some sort of ointment with a mortar and some raw herbs when she did enter and it did make the healer a bit confused since she probably hadn’t expected to receive any patients this day. 

Barariel was trying to act meek and a bit nervous, she sat down with a grimace and looked down, she did act as if she was both embarrassed and bothered. The healer did put the mortar away, the room did smell of the herbs and it was not very brightly lit. She had to sneeze, the smell was very strong. “How may I be of service my lady?”

The healer was a very sweet elleth and Barariel forced forth a grin. “Ah, I…I am not used to the cuisine of the woodland realm, or so it seems. I…have stomach issues” 

The healer did smile, and bowed her head. “Not unheard of, you are from the coast and used to a different diet so such things can happen. Do not worry, we have remedies which can help” 

The healer did look very trustworthy and Barariel was nothing if not ambitious, she had no problems humiliating herself if she could achieve something by doing it. “That is wonderful, it is…hard” 

The healer mumbled. “A constipation then my lady, what have you been eating over the last days?” 

Barariel did list up all the food she had had and the healer did smack her tongue. “You are probably not used to this much meat, but just wait for a moment, I have some medicine which will help a lot” 

She did walk to the door and Barariel had realized that it was leading into the storage room, she had to find a reason to enter. “Ah, there is another small issue…” 

The healer raised an eyebrow. “Yes?” 

Barariel did wring her hands and managed to blush fiercely. “Uh, it is embarrassing” 

The healer just kept that mild smile. “Not to a healer, what is it my lady?” 

Barariel did take a deep breath. “I have had some problems with…odour…down there. And my healer back home gave me these herbs I was to put in water and then wash with the water and now I am out of them and I don’t remember the name but I do remember the smell and the look of the leaves” 

The healer did raise an eyebrow. “Truly? Such problems are not that common among the eldar but I think I know what sort of leaves you mean. Come with me, I am sure we have some” 

Barariel did look very relieved and she managed to send off a huge grateful smile. “That would be wonderful yes!” 

She followed the healer into the storage room, it was huge and for a moment she did panic, then she did see that all the boxes there were marked and she could find whatever she needed there fast. She just needed to get rid of the healer for a few moments. How? She saw that the healer did open a box of herbs and waved Barariel over. “Here, does this look like the right type of herb?” 

Barariel did walk up to the healer and sniffed and appeared to examine the herbs. “Yes, these are the right type I am sure” 

She was trying to come up with an idea of how to distract the healer when a door opened and another elleth did put her head in. “Do you have a moment Celiel? I cannot find those darn Bharra roots and I need some for the next batch of shampoo I am to make” 

Celiel did nod. “Of course, I will find them. Just wait for a second my lady?” 

Barariel did smile, a meek expression. “Of course, just take your time” 

The healer did scurry out of the door and Barariel couldn’t believe her own luck, this was just what she needed. Swift as a wind she did find the right herbs and stuffed a nice amount of them into her pockets. She found everything she needed and made sure that she didn’t spill or let the lids remain open. When the healer did return she stood where she had been, seemingly admiring the very neat craftsmanship of those who had constructed the shelves. The healer did find the medicine against constipation and handed it over with careful instructions and Barariel did play the grateful patient. She was chuckling to herself when she was hurrying back to her assigned room. The herbs were to be soaked in alcohol and she did find some wine and placed it all in a goblet. 

Then she had to find a way to get that goddamn dark elf out of the way, she couldn’t risk that the kings lover did get in the way of her plan so she had to find a way to lure him off. She had to gather more information, there was no other way to do this. She went outside again and approached one of the ladies of the court, she had shared a few words with this elleth before and now she did pretend to admire the lovely green dress the elleth wore. Barariel did know how to flatter others, and she was very good at manipulating people without them realizing what was going on. She did ask discrete questions which were seemingly very innocent and the elleth did speak willingly. 

After just a little she had enough information, she had to think about this for a while and put the details together into a good plan. But it wasn’t undoable and she was rather sure that she could manage to get Zhay out of the way for a while. She did filter the herbs out of the goblet and the liquid was poured into a perfume flagon, the type every woman wears. She was convinced that this would turn out just fine. Yes, she was rather sure that she knew just how to manipulate that freak of an elf. 

 

Zhay had felt a sort of intense relief, one he had never felt before. He had worried so much, been ridden by a deep doubt. He had feared that Thran would throw him away when he learned the truth about the nature of the Drow but he hadn’t. Instead he had been supportive and understanding and now this, the offer of becoming a consort. Zhay had little idea of what that truly meant but he knew that he would be protected by Thran and that they never would be apart. That was enough for him. He knew that Thranduil was a leader, like a powerful matron and nobody would dare to protest against Zhay being there. It was odd though, he should have been afraid, he should have wanted to stay away from everybody and never allow himself to be touched again. But it didn’t matter anymore, he felt…He couldn’t describe it, when he was with Thran he felt safe, and not just from attack and the despise of others. He felt cared for, cherished, loved. 

Zhay had never had an understanding of that word, in his world it didn’t even exist as a word and he had never even heard of the concept. Lust yes, desire absolutely. But not love, never that. He had spent evenings contemplating the odd sensation within his chest when he did look at Thran, the fluttering feeling, the warmth and the puzzling sensation of need. Not the need to fuck, though it was there but a different need, an urge to comfort, to be there for that person, to make sure that he was happy and content and that nothing bad could affect this golden beauty. He wanted to be there for Thranduil, forever. He wasn’t afraid of the elf in any manner, he knew that Thranduil never would do him harm. It was such a safety in knowing that. Zhay was grateful, so very much so and wanted to show it too. 

The ceremony was something grand, he had understood that much and it did leave him worried for he did still have some problems with crowds but he didn’t want that to hold him back. He felt confident, and he felt adored each time he did spend time with Thranduil. It was the most wonderful feeling ever. He and Feren did spend a lot of time together and the young guard did tell Zhay a lot about the king. He did tell of the queen who was lost during a battle ages ago, he did also tell of the history of the realm and Zhay felt such pity for his lover. Since drow elves have no true idea of love Zhay was in a way convinced that it was something even more pure and strong than it is in reality. The night they had spent together had made Zhay convinced that he could make Thranduil very happy indeed and he was ready to go all the way. He was nervous, he had to admit it. The memories did still give him nightmares but he wasn’t going to let them ruin this. He would let Thranduil have what had only been taken and he did trust the elf with all of his heart. Even if there should be pain he would allow this to happen. 

He and Feren were training a lot and Zhay was getting rather good by now, he was getting stronger too, and more agile and he had a grace and elegance which made many stare at him. Even those who at first had felt that he was a threat did now regard him as somebody worthy of their king, when the two were together everybody could see the way they seemed to almost glow and they were beyond beautiful like that. Feren was happy on Zhay’s behalf and he had done a lot to restore the drow’s sense of self-worth. Zhay was never going to be a good archer, he simply hadn’t the right upbringing but he was getting good at fencing and he was very good at throwing knives. In unarmed combat he was struggling a bit since it did require physical contact but he was getting there, although slowly. 

Zhay was still feeling that giddy sensation within his gut, the announcement had been given and nobody had acted as if they did dislike it. It was wonderful, he felt welcome and accepted and it did bring tears to his eyes. Feren had taken him for a long stroll just to calm his nerves and now they were in one of the halls of the basement of the palace. It was used for practice and Feren was showing Zhay the difference between the different types of swords they used. Zhay was eager, he wanted to learn and they were using some dummies made from straw to demonstrate the different ways to strike. Zhay was not of unusual height there and that too felt good, he would always be different due to his skin colour but this was not going to change so he couldn’t really do much about it. Feren was swinging a rather narrow blade against the dummy to show Zhay that he had to calculate the arch and never reach to far out whilst striking and Zhay was paying close attention to the guard and his descriptions. He was so preoccupied that he at first didn’t notice that they had company.   
Feren did notice though, he did lower the sword and frowned. “Hello there little one, why are you here?” 

Zhay turned his head and saw a young child, a girl who was perhaps three or four years of age, very sweet with thick brown hair and large hazel eyes. It was a lovely child and it shouldn’t be down there, in the practice area, alone. The girl did giggle and pulled her thumb out of her mouth and then she did run. Into one of the dark narrow passages which did lead out from the practice area. Feren gaped, then he did cuss and put the sword away, he did run after the kid. “Zhay, follow me. We have to catch her, there is open water in there, she could fall inn and drown” 

Zhay went cold, he knew the dangers of such underwater rivers and he also knew how very precious children were to these elves. He followed Feren and the girl was running as fast as her short legs could carry her, giggling and squealing with glee. It was obvious that she thought that running around being chased by two adults was so much fun. There were indeed rivers and waterfalls there and side rooms which were used to store stuff and Feren was afraid that they would lose sight of the girl, if she got lost down there she could be in trouble for there were so many side corridors and passages nobody, not even the king’s best servants, knew of them all. 

The child did run very fast, and the passage they followed was very narrow and winding and suddenly it did end, in a door. The door was open, leading into a larger room which was filled with all sorts of stuff which had been used to decorate the throne room and the banquet hall and now most of it was old and decrepit and no longer fashionable. The girl ran straight inn, giggling like mad and Feren moaned. If the child did try to play hide and seek in there she could stay hidden for days. 

They ran after her and Feren did notice that some of the lamps there were lit, throwing a soft light over the assembled stuff. Some servant had to have been visiting there recently and forgotten to close the door and kill the light, it was unusual. The girl did run inn underneath an old throne which was placed in the middle of the room, she still believed that this was very fun. Then she disappeared into the dark shadows and the two males did hurry after her. Feren froze when he heard a terrified wail from the girl, she came running back towards them, screaming and her eyes were large and horrified. Feren was very fast, he did grasp her and lifted her up and the kid was clinging to him like a lamprey and wailing. Feren turned around to carry her back up into the palace but suddenly the door was closed and Feren stared at Zhay with confusion written all over his handsome face. “What the…” 

Zhay did sniff, he had caught a whiff of something there, something terribly familiar and he did run over to the old throne and took a peek behind it. “Feren…” 

His voice was very weak and Feren did walk towards him, very slowly. What he saw made him yip and turn around to shield the child from the view. It was one of the servants, he laid there in a pool of blood and it was clear why. A very tall narrow vase was laying next to him, with blood on it. Somebody had struck him over the head with it and Zhay did swallow the feeling of nausea and bowed down, touched the ellon gently. “He haven’t been dead for long, he is warm still” 

Feren’s voice was shivering, he was struggling holding the child. “Is he dead? Are you sure?” 

Zhay did nod. “He is dead, he isn’t breathing and the blood don’t smell like this if it is life present. He has been murdered” 

Feren swore, he ran to the door and tried to push at it but it was no use. The lock was on and they realized that whoever had killed the servant had locked them inn, there were no other explanation. The child was wailing still and Feren did look stricken. Zhay tried to think, he tried to smile at the girl. “Little one, what is your name?” 

The girl did sniffle and wiped off her face with her sleeve. “Farariel, where is the candy?”   
Feren did frown. “Candy?” 

The child did sniffle again. “The lady said that there was candy here, I would get it if I ran here” 

Feren swallowed hard. “The lady?” 

The child nodded, tears streaming down her face. “Yes, the pretty lady. She said that you would follow me and I shouldn’t stop for if I did there would be no candy” 

Zhay was used to intrigues, to people manipulating others and he stared at Feren with wide eyes. “Somebody wants us out of the way, why?” 

Feren gasped. “The king!”

Zhay felt ice cold right away. “Oh no, we have to get out of here, now!”

Feren tried to make the child calm down. “Little one, can you stand here? We have to try to find another way out” 

The girl did sniffle still and nodded and he put her down. The room was large and the lamps wouldn’t burn forever, it would be pitch black soon. Feren was wide eyed and pale and Zhay tried to use what he did know to find a solution. The room was mostly natural, the end of the cave and could there be an exit? He was running along the walls, throwing stuff aside to see if the wall did hide some exit nobody had thought of. He had come some way without finding anything except solid rock when Feren let out a shout. “Zhay! We have to get out of here, now!”

Zhay turned around to witness his worst nightmare come true there and then. There were spiders there, not the small type barely the size of a palm but the spiders of the twisted and overgrown species they had encountered in the woods. It was five of them and they moved along the roof, clicking and hissing. There had to be some crack in the rock and they had probably smelled the blood. The dead servant was bait. 

Zhay did freeze, his body felt as if it was made from granite, he couldn’t move even an inch and he felt like pissing himself yet again. Feren yelled. “Zhay!”

The drow did whimper, then something did snap within him. He did still have his throwing knives strapped to his waist, he hadn’t had time to remove them after the practice and even though these were small and not very heavy knives they were sharp and real knives, not just the practice version. He grasped them with a wail of fear and disgust. The spiders were aware of the living elves there and he could feel them, they were hungry and ready to devour them all and he almost roared as he let the first knife fly. 

He knew that he had to hit a very small target, the brain of the spiders. The exoskeleton of the beasts was thick and solid and the target very small but his aim was true and the knife did in fact hit the sweet spot. The spider did drop with a nasty crunching sound and the girl did shriek in fear. The four left did rear back, hissing and Zhay did growl, the drow were aggressive beings, and also very fast if they needed to be. He had completely lost it, he was so scared he no longer did think and his instincts did take over completely. The next knife did fly and it too did hit its target. The three spiders spread out, they were not stupid and Zhay saw that they were aiming for Feren and the girl. 

His mind went into overdrive, he did grasp onto a fire poker which was sticking out of a metal container used to transport ashes from the fire places in winter. Feren had trained him, and done that well but this was instinctual and not anything he had learned. He did throw himself towards the spiders, not fearing for his own life at all. The fire poker had a sort of split at the end, like a crow bar and he did swing it with remarkable strength. The end did make contact with the head of one of the spiders and made the nasty critter almost explode. He screamed, spun around and stabbed at the next one. The poker wasn’t sharp or pointed but it did its job and blood and gore did fly as he more or less ripped the nasty spider apart. 

The last one did run towards Feren and the child and the guard was unarmed but he did react fast. He grasped onto a set of huge antlers which had once adorned the throne room and shoved them in front of himself just in time. The spider did impale itself onto one of the spikes and the weight did push Feren over. The girl did scream like a stuck pig and Zhay did let go of the poker, shaking like a leaf in the wind. Feren got back up, he was grey in the face and trembling. “We have to get out of here, there could be more spiders coming!”

Zhay shuddered and hissed and the girl cried for its mother. There had to be some elleth out there searching frantically for her little one. “The air here is cool, there could be some exit but we have to find it” 

He did grasp one of the lamps and removed the glass, the open flame did flutter a bit and he did move around the room, paying careful attention to it. Feren did follow him, removing old furniture and boxes of Eru alone knew what. Zhay did stop. “Here, there is a draft” 

Feren did nod, he did push at a huge table leaned up against the wall and he did uncover a small door. It was narrow and old and the guard did break it open easily. The dark corridor behind it had stairs and it was pitch black. Zhay did sneer. “An old hidden corridor, do you have any idea of where it may lead?” 

Feren did shake his head. “No, it could be anywhere really, but we have got to get out of here” 

Zhay nodded. “Grasp an extra lamp, I will go first. I am used to darkness and I can see heat” 

He did walk and the kid did protest and screamed since she didn’t want to enter the dark hole ahead of her. Zhay had a feeling of desperate haste, he just knew it, something bad was about to happen. He had to warn Thranduil and he did run up the old stairs, ignoring cobwebs and dust as he used his infra vision to watch out for dangers. 

 

Barariel had prepared well, as she did approach the library for the appointment she had hidden the flagon in her sleeve and she was carrying the necklace in a box, it was a rather elaborate one and it was covered with velvet to really show off the gems. She was very confident now, the trick with luring the drow and the guard away was bound to work and whence she had gotten what she wanted there would be no way back for the king. He did already have an heir but accidents do happen and she knew of even more dangerous potions. She walked towards the library with her usual meek expression, careful not to look too eager. She was sure that the spiders would take care of that dark elf and the guard and if a child did perish well who did care? She had waited behind the door and they had been running into her trap like willing little rabbits. Closing the door was easy and she had not even had to run back to her room to prepare, she had strolled casually as if she had every right to be there. 

The king was waiting, a bit impatient and she did send him a nervous grin and put the box down, opening it without being asked and she did see that the king did appreciate it. He didn’t pay attention to her at all, just the necklace but that was in her plan. He had some books there and a goblet with wine plus a decanter which was half full. Thranduil did lift the necklace carefully, it was not a fake for sure but it couldn’t have come from Doriath, it was too damn special and the cut was perfect but not very much in use. He had brought some good lamps and a magnifying glass and he sat down and started to look for stamps. Most jewellers do leave a small mark somewhere to prove the work is theirs, and he did work his way along the elegant necklace from one clasp to the other. 

Barariel did stand there, head bowed and hands neatly folded together and she tried not to look too eager. The king was thorough and stopped when he did notice a very small mark in the silver encasing one of the gems. It was a sort of cirth rune and he hadn’t seen it used on jewellery before. He did grunt and got up, he had books with the insignia of many famous jewellers and he had to check them. He did turn his back to the elleth who hadn’t said anything since she did greet him very politely as she arrived. 

Barariel was swift. A few drops in the goblet, not much but enough. She had one other potion too, hidden in her other sleeve and she had to wait for this first one to take effect before she could use number two. She just stood there as the king did return with some books and opened them. He did take small sips of wine every now and then, it would take a while before he had ingested enough for it to work properly. 

 

Zhay had been running for a long time, the narrow passage was very unpleasant and it was cold and wet and he had to jump over small rivers and help Feren get the kid over too. The only consolation was that it was heading upwards, towards the palace itself. The passage seemed to follow a natural crack in the rock and it was moving up and down and to every direction all at the same time and Zhay was desperate. Feren ran straight behind him carrying the kid and they hoped to find a door soon. Zhay just knew it, time was running short. 

 

Barariel was patient and the king did go through the books, mumbling to himself. He found this to be more and more disturbing, no doubt that the necklace was worth a fortune but from whence did it come? The method wasn’t really very well known and the gems? They were perfect. He was reading and thinking and trying to recognize the odd markings and when he finally realized what it was he was so stunned that he had to sit down. This didn’t come from Doriath at all, this was work brought to Ennorath from Aman! This was noldorin work, from the first age, it only looked new due to the skill of the jeweller. It was probably brought there by some of the followers of Fëanor or his half brother.   
He gaped and blinked, suddenly his body felt incredibly heavy and sluggish, had he been drinking too much? He tried to get back up but slumped back into the seat, he felt weak as a wet rag. What was this? The elleth did appear to be confused and he tried to talk to her, to ask her to get help but he wasn’t able to say a word. His tongue felt like it was made from lead and he was terribly dizzy, his vision was failing too, black dots forming over his eyes and he realized that something was terribly wrong. He made an attempt at breaking free from the odd feeling out of sheer panic but couldn’t, everything went black. 

Barariel did hiss, he was strong, he had fought it for a long time and the drug didn’t work for more than half an hour tops. She had to work fast. She did find the second flagon and poured some drops into the king’s mouth, stroked his neck to make him swallow. Then she took up a small bag from her pocket and she was in a hurry but had to do this right. There were mirrors in the library and she used one of them to apply the makeup carefully, she did soon look as if she had been struck across the face. Then she did rip her dress and bodice and scratched the unconscious ellon across the face, as if she had tried to defend herself. The last potion did have its effect, the dark velvet pants were tented and she did open the belt and unlaced the pants fast. She did just rip the lacing out, as if he had been in a hurry. She had taken the herbs for many days, it wouldn’t require that much for her to conceive now and she gasped when she saw what she was uncovering. He was impressive to say the least and she did curse the chair, it had an awkward shape and she would need to manoeuvre him into some other position if she was to be able to ride him without hurting herself seriously. Those goddamn arm rests were in the way. 

 

Zhay was short of breath but he felt a familiar scent, the smell of horses and barn and there was suddenly a hatch there, by the floor. He did kick it open and light did pierce the darkness, one of the lamps had already died out and the other was heading that way too. He fell to his knees, peeked out. It was the stable alright and he was at the back of it, where they did dispose of the horse droppings. He did snake his way out of the hatch and the girl came after him and then Feren. There were nobody there now, just horses and Zhay was suddenly unsure of what to do. “Go, find Thranduil, I will alert the guards!”

Zhay did snap out of it, he ran. But he was tired and his legs did shiver and he knew that he wasn’t very fast now. But there were horses there and without thinking he did open a door and grasped onto the mane of the kings large black war stallion. The animal did snort but Zhay did manage to haul himself up onto the smooth back and whispered to the horse. “Please, take me to your master, he may be in danger” 

The horse did whinny and shot out of the stall like a comet, Zhay had to cling to the mane not to be ripped off the back by the speed. The horse ran through the stable and out of the door, into the built in courtyard behind the entrance to the cave system. Then he did set a course for the palace itself and the guards did gape as the kings fiancé did ride by on the kings own horse, heading into the palace. Riding there was not very smart nor very welcome but Zhay didn’t care. The stallion was brave and sure footed, bridges and stairs didn’t bother him and Zhay did yell. “Where is the king, he may be in danger?!”

One of the royal guards was placed on the bridge leading to the throne room and he did stare slack jawed at the spectacle. “He is in the library?” 

Zhay did just nod and hollered to the guards. “Follow me fast”

He did steer the horse, the animal did manage the narrow pathways and bridges with excellence and Zhay felt his heart beating like a drum. He hadn’t really learned how to ride yet but he did cling to the horse like some monkey and the stallion knew it was important and didn’t let the inexperienced and very clumsy rider fall. 

Barariel did hiss, he was a huge guy and it was difficult pulling him further out of the seat but she did manage. She was going to get it done, then she would pull him over her and when the guards or servants did hear her scream they would assume that he had violated her in a drunken fit of uncontrollable lust. And the missing guard and the dark elf would have eloped together or something, she was sure nobody would bother with them at all. Barariel was used to elves from Lindon, not a few were Noldor and they did have a somewhat twisted view upon how others were regarded in the woodland realm, they didn’t understand the deep loyalty which was created between the king and his subjects. After all, nobody had been able to call themselves king of the Noldor for several ages since that title in itself was pretty much a death sentence or did seem to be. Barariel would never be able to convince the forest elves that her lies were the truth but she didn’t think that far. 

Finally she managed to straddle him and didn’t hesitate. Now she had to make him cum and she was good at this but the drug had a side effect, it made you sluggish and less sensitive and she was grunting and thrusting her hips very eagerly to trigger his orgasm. The king was still unconscious but he was already starting to move and she was getting nervous. If he did wake up it was all over, she moved even faster. 

Zhay did ride hard, the corridors were filled with elves and many had to jump out of the way and he did cause some very nasty swearwords to be heard. But he didn’t care, the library was close now and he called out for every guard he could see, he had quite an army at his tail now. The library door was locked, and he wanted to jump off the horse to open it but the animal was well trained. The black stallion did rear up and kicked at the door. That made Zhay slide off and he landed on his ass on the floor so he didn’t see what the royal guards did see. There was a scream as the door was smashed to smithereens by the powerful hooves and the guards did pour into the room. Shouts were heard, more screams and then they heard the sound of somebody being slapped very hard. Zhay managed to get up, he rushed into the room to see a very groggy Thranduil struggling to get up into a sitting position, he was half naked and his eyes did roll but he was alive and grasped his cloak to hide a very visible erection. The elleth was struggling against the grip of the guards, shouting and trying to tell them that he had violated her but she had been riding the obviously unconscious ellon with glee and the king sneered and managed to look terrifying in spite of it all. 

Zhay did rush into the room, wide eyed and shaken. “MY KING! She murdered a servant and tried to lock me and Feren and a child up in the basement, in a room where there are spiders!”

Thranduil did sit down, he was unable to stand but his eyes did shoot lightening. “Is that so? Then there will be little doubt about your fate you vixen! Take her away, we will have a trial tomorrow but the outcome is ensured already now. “

Zhay did fall to Thranduil’s feet, the emerald eyes huge with relief and worry. “My love, are you alright?” 

Thranduil did nod, his eyes out of focus but he did reach down and caressed Zhay’s silky white hair. “I am now, you saved me my beauty” 

Zhay managed to smile. “As you saved me” 

The king did sigh and smiled, there was tenderness in his eyes where there had been ice cold wrath just seconds ago. “Aye, you are right. You are unhurt?” 

Zhay nodded and Thranduil did pull the drow closer, into a tight hug. “You rode through the palace on my horse? I did believe that you were afraid of horses?” 

Zhay shook his head. “Not anymore, not when you needed me” 

Feren did reach the door, he was panting since he had been running hard. “My king, he did kill four huge spiders! On his own. You have a warrior there for sure”

Thranduil did kiss Zhay on the forehead. “Yes, and he has saved the day” 

Feren did tell Zhay that the child had been reunited with its rather terrified mother and the healers had given the little one some sleeping draught to avoid future problems, she would forget what she had seen and it was for the best. 

The guards did leave the king to himself to get dressed and get the drug out of his system and the healers did come and could confirm that he had been drugged and that the elleth hadn’t managed to get what she wanted. Zhay had arrived in the nick of time so to speak and he was very thankful for that. 

The drow did follow Thran to the baths and helped him bathe and then the news was spread all through the palace. Some went into a rage and demanded that the king did take the head off that bitch but the king was calm and the cold smile told everybody that he had something else in mind altogether. 

The next day Barariel was brought forth, the council was gathered and many of the sindar nobles and even some of the elves she had come there with. Few had anything good to say about her and one ellon did in fact tell the king that her father had been a floor sweeper in Doriath and far from noble even though she said he was. Her mother had been of a good family though and they had to get married due to a slight scandal involving being caught fornicating in a fountain. The necklace was revealed to be part of a compensation the noldor did pay some of the survivors of the third kinslaying but she did refuse to say where she had gotten hold of it and it didn’t matter. Thranduil had her punishment ready. 

The drow would have showed no mercy whatsoever but these elves didn’t kill their own kin, even as punishment for severe crime. Instead Barariel was shaved, her crime tattooed onto her back in tengwar so everybody could read what she had done and then she was to be paraded naked through the streets of Lindon riding an old mule. It was perhaps cruel but she was a kinslayer and she had, beside murdering the servant who showed her the storage room, wanted to kill two Ellyn and a child in order to get things her way. It was justifiable. 

She was sent back to Lindon under guard and after the display she was to be set on a ship to Aman, it was a one way ticket for sure.

Thranduil had been very shaken by the experience and decided that the wedding had to take place earlier than previously planned. He didn’t want anybody else to get ideas and so they started to prepare right away. The workers were in shock for they now had two weeks to prepare instead of a month but oddly enough they did manage to make it all work.   
There were elves running around like weasels and hunters were sent out to gather fresh food and the butler did go over the wine cellar to make sure that there would be enough wine for everybody. He was sure they would run dry so he did order several barrels from Lake town. Zhay was being prepared too, he was given a new set of clothing, he was told what to say and when and even though he was learning it all very well he was shaken when the day finally came. There had been guests arriving too, and he was thrilled to see that Elrond had managed to get there in time. It was a very heartfelt meeting, and the healer was very glad to see that Zhay had overcome his trauma and become both confident and happy. 

The ceremony went well, Zhay was sure he would mess everything up but he didn’t and the king was proud of him. The feast afterwards was wonderful, the forest elves did know how to party and Zhay did dance and enjoy himself immensely. He was not aware that time did pass until Thranduil discretely pulled him aside. It was time to retire for the night, and Zhay did start to feel nervous yet again. He had longed for this and yet he was a bit scared. The bedroom they were to share from now on was decorated and heated and Zhay started to tremble, why he didn’t know. It was part nervousness and part anticipation for they hadn’t touched since the night before their decision. 

Zhay did calm down when Thranduil did kiss him, the familiar scent did remind him that this was no enemy, nobody who wanted to hurt him, to use him only for their own pleasure and the king knew that Zhay was very warm blooded but that had to be unleashed before they could get anywhere. Gentle caresses became bolder, tender words where whispered, filled with encouragement and when they reached the bed, stark naked as the day they were born Zhay was already panting with arousal and need. He could no longer think clearly, all he wanted was to fulfil this, to make sure that he gave his spouse everything that he was. He was whimpering and clawing at the silky skin and pulling at thick golden locks and Thranduil made him arch and mewl and beg more than once. But the king was patient, and he knew he had to be. Zhay had to be the one to give the signal to go all the way, the one to be in control. Elrond had given Thran some very nice oils and he did feel grateful as he did prepare the dark elf slowly and with great care. 

Zhay was writhing and moaning and the black skin was slick with sweat and he didn’t try to resist at all as they became one, in fact he was almost desperate to feel his beloved inside of him. He had anticipated pain, even severe pain but there was none and then Thran did move and hit something which sent sparks of pleasure through the drow and before long they were both crying out in ecstasy and feeling how their spirits bonded, never to be separated again. Zhay was floating in a sea of sheer pleasure and he had never even believed that he ever would experience something like this. 

As they did come down from their high they just stayed there, together in silence, embracing the truth of this complete merging of souls. It shouldn’t have been possible and yet it was. When Zhay did drift away into sleep Thranduil did stay awake, he felt humble and grateful that fate had brought him this dark gem, he would forever cherish and treasure Zhay and one day they would probably leave this realm together and travel west. The lifespan of a drow was not eternal as that of the eldar and Thran would never allow his new love to fade away. Zhay would never again need to fear being abused and tortured, and Thranduil did close his ice blue eyes and drifted off into dreams too, dreams of emeralds and ebony and days to come, days of love and comfort. 

A few years later the orcs which did dare to enter the great woods of the elves spoke of something lurking in the shadows, stealthy and deadly and unseen. Something dark and invisible and it did kill with knives, flying out from the dark all of a sudden. And they did cower in fear for they knew not what this being was, and when it killed the elves were not far behind. Just swift glimpses could be spotted, of something too fast and dark to be any known creature and so the orcs started to avoid certain parts of the woods and no power on earth would make them enter these areas. Not even their dark leader was scary enough and over the years the legend grew and everybody knew of the dark shadow which did seem to roam the canopy, slaughtering spiders and orcs. The elves did know the truth of course, to them Zhay had become more than the consort of their king, he had become one of them, a warrior of the great woods and they did respect him as one of their brothers. And Zhay had found his home and his new identity and it was all that he had ever wanted, to be regarded as someone doing something good.


End file.
